Moving Along
by Manu4380
Summary: My take on what could've happened if Lisa had died before Ianto could bring her to Cardiff and Torchwood 3.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **So this is my first Torchwood fanfiction. If the characters feel a bit... weird or out of character, that's the reason why. This is AU so there won't be spoilers, I guess. At least not intentionally. Well, either way, I know there are probably a lot of fics following this sort of storyline but I guess the way things happen are always different. I haven't read many Torchwood fiction, so if this seems similar, in any way, to other story, it's pure coincidence. That being said, I hope you'll enjoy my take on this.

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><p>Opening the door to their flat, Ianto entered and put the bags down shrugging off his coat as he went.<p>

"Lisa? I'm back!" He yelled as he moved to the kitchen across from the room Lisa was in and started unpacking the bags, putting everything away.

He didn't hear her respond.

_'Something's wrong,'_ he thought, moving across to where Lisa was lying in the conversion unit currently keeping her alive, bags left forgotten.

Entering the room, Ianto took a good look at Lisa and saw that she was obviously in pain. He moved quickly to her side, taking her hand in his and kissing it.

"Ianto?" Her voice was rough.

"Do you need more painkillers?"

"Ianto, I d… don't think I'll… make it," she breathed, every word laced with pain. Ianto noted that, even with the machines doing the work, she was struggling for each breath.

"No, no. Don't say that. We're going to bring you back. You'll be alright." He smiled tightly, even though he was concerned and unsure if this was really going to work.

"I'm not. We both know it." Lisa had tears in her eyes and she was getting weaker by the second.

Ianto felt her grip on his hand loosen.

He was tearing up. "You will. You have to. I love you so much, Lisa."

"I love you, too. But it… it's not working. I'm not …going to… survive."

"I think I found someone that can help us. And I may have found a place for you to stay. A better place where you'll have all you need to…" he stopped when she started to close her eyes. "Lisa? Lisa! Lisa, please, stay with me."

"I'm sorry… Ianto… Just… remember the good times."

"I will never forget you." he told her, sincerely.

"I…"

And then she was gone, lying dead before him. Ianto lost her in the blink of an eye.

"Lisa? Lisa!" He desperately checked her pulse and shook her, trying to wake her up, to start breathing again.

"No! You can't leave me. Not now when I've found a possible cure for all this."

His mind was in complete turmoil, thoughts racing. What had just happened? It couldn't be. She was okay before. How could she die so suddenly?

After a moment, his brain filled with white noise. He couldn't even understand what was happening. His mind blanked. Then he seemed to be set into motion.

He stood up, crying, and started pacing around, looking around the scattered tech in the room, searching for something that would help him bring her back, all the while cursing loudly. "Bloody Torchwood! I knew this would happen someday!"

Ianto tried to bring Lisa back over and over again, with no success.

"Come on, Lisa! This can't be it! Come back for me, love. Please, come back. I'm nothing without you. Nothing. Lisa, please! Please." What started as desperate yells ended as broken sobs to pair with his shattered heart.

After a few more failed attempts, Ianto finally gave up and accepted that she was gone.

Going back to the living room, he started to throw things at the walls. Yes, he was sure that wouldn't help anything, but right now it made him feel better. Torchwood One was gone so there really wasn't much left for him to vent his anger on.

After throwing almost everything he could find in the living room, he felt exhaustion, grief, anger and guilt come to him all at once. He felt dizzy and sat on the couch. He was still crying like there was no tomorrow. And in a way, for him there wasn't.

He thought back to what she told him about remembering the good times.

Ianto closed his eyes and tried. After a moment of concentration, there he was. Happier times.

_They were in a restaurant, Lisa, her brother Roger and himself. They were laughing because, as usual whenever they had a meal together, Roger had all these funny stories to tell. Sometimes Ianto wasn't sure he should believe everything the other man claimed to have happened to him, but Roger had been proven right so many times, Ianto didn't really dare to question the veracity of what he said anymore__._

_When they had first met, Roger had seemed a bit wary of the Welshman and his relationship with Lisa. Being the old brother__,__ it was a perfectly normal instinct for him to want to protect his sister. But after the two men got to know each other better, they actually found they had a lot in common. Roger approved of their relationship and was always teasing them and asking them when they were going to get married._

_Ianto remembered this particular time very well. Just like it was yesterday. Roger's boss had given him a huge raise in recognition of the excellent work he had done. The three of them went out for dinner to celebrate._

_Roger had been happy talking about his job at the MI5 and how he was the perfect archivist there. Everyone working in the archives envied him. He was talking about this new girl and how she kept messing up, but everyone pitied her and helped her until she got used to the place._

_Lisa was happy for her brother. She had a huge smile on her face. She had the most beautiful smile Ianto had ever seen. The Welshman thought about how lucky he was to see that smile almost every time she looked at him._

_He cherished this memory and he kept it to remember later when things weren't so good in his life._

That thought drew him out of the pleasantness of the past to the cold, harsh reality of today with an abruptness that was breath-taking.

He couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face at the memories, but his expression hardened as he remembered her brother. He'd have to tell him what happened.

Curiously his phone was one of the few things that escaped the destruction of the living room. Searching for Roger's number he hit the dial button.

"_Hello?"_

"Roger?"

_"Ianto? What's up, mate?" _he answered cheerfully. _"Oh, did you hear? Because of that terrorist attack at the Canary Wharf I won't be able to fly back to London for a few days. They want to make sure there are no more terrorists attacking, I'd say."_

"Yeah, I heard about it." Ianto said with a sigh, "Listen, I have something important to tell you." His voice was calm, opposed to the way he was feeling at the moment.

"_Yeah? What's wrong?" _Roger's tone was serious now.

"Your sister… she…"

"_No."_

"She died."

"_Oh God."_

"I'm really sorry. One moment she was okay, the next she's telling me she's not going to make it and… I'm so sorry, Roger." More silent tears streaking down his cheeks as he spoke.

"_Not your fault, Ianto. I'm really sorry, too. I know how much you loved her."_

"Yeah."

They both sighed.

"_I won't be able to get back for a few days, as I told you already. Can you take care of everything? Make sure they do everything right?"_

"Yes, sure. That's the least I can do now. She… uh… she wanted to be cremated. Should I make those arrangements before you get back?"

"_Yeah, please. God… She was so young. She didn't deserve to die because of those bloody terrorists."_

Little did he know what truly happened to his sister. Ianto thought, silently cursing his former employer again.

"_I think I'm getting a headache now. I want to go lie down for a while. I'll talk to you sometime later, okay?"_

"Sure. Rest your head, you'll need it. Don't worry; I'll take care of things here."

As soon as Ianto hung up, his mask fell and he was the broken man again.

His shoulders heaved and he let out a long, frail sigh before he felt his back hit the wall behind him.

He let the phone drop to the floor and followed right after, crying until there were no more tears left to fall.

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><p>Five days later, Roger finally made it back to London. Dropping his bags at the door, he looked for the keys.<p>

The first thing he did as soon as he entered the house was to drop on the couch and sigh loudly. He had to get back to work soon, but he felt like sleeping for a whole week now.

Ianto had called once more telling him he'd cremated Lisa, just like she'd said she wanted when she was still alive. The younger man also said he was going away for a while and that Roger should go ahead with the memorial service, the Welshman would visit the cemetery once he returned.

He left Roger the keys to the flat he shared with Lisa. Ianto had taken his things out and had put Lisa's things in boxes, in case her brother wanted to clear the flat and sell it.

His answering machine had a message. Michelle - his colleague from the archiving department at the MI5 - told him he should report to work as soon as he felt better, jokingly saying the sooner the better, as things in his absence got a little crazy, especially with the new girl still not used to it.

A small smile took place on his lips and he made a mental note to thank Michelle later for bringing a smile – even if a shy and small one – to his face when he felt like curling up in a ball and forget about the rest of the world.

After putting his things away, taking a shower and getting dressed he decided to go to the cemetery where his sister's ashes were before going to work.

About an hour later he was entering the archiving section of MI5. Michelle looked up. She instantly hugged him as tightly as she could in greeting.

"It's so good to have you back. This has been a total nightmare." She stepped back and pointed at the new girl. "She's all yours. I'm done with her, really. I wonder what they saw in her that made them think she'd be a good archivist for an organization like this!"

"Oh, come on! She can't be all that bad!"

"For all that it's worth, do give it a try. And don't send her back to me, I repeat, _do not send her back to me_. I lost count of the times I told her where things like accounting books get stored." She sighed dramatically.

"Michelle, Michelle. If all the people in the world were like you, no one would get along."

"Excuse me; I get along with all the other people in this section just fine. She's the one who's messing me up."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He started walking in the new girl's direction when Michelle grabbed his arm.

"I'm really sorry for the Canary Wharf thing and your sister. I heard the Cybermen got to her and that she was partially converted."

Roger eyed her confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember William from upstairs?"

The man raised his eyebrow. "Yeah. What about him?"

"He was part of the team that was sent to Canary Wharf in the aftermath. They were looking for something, no one knows what exactly. Said he saw her body in the wreckage when they first got there. He wanted to go to her but he couldn't leave his post. Could have been brought up on charges of treason, as twitchy as everyone's been lately. When he was able to get back she was gone. I tried to make some inquires but haven't gotten anywhere, then we were told she had died," Michelle explained.

He barely noticed everything she said. "Wait, so she wasn't in the hospital?"

Michelle looked shocked. "I don't know, but a hospital wouldn't do her any good, really."

Confusion was taking over Roger now. "Michelle, could you research, see if she was admitted to any hospital in the area?"

"Sure. Let me search."

A few minutes later she came back. "Nope. Lisa Hallett was never in a hospital."

Anger flooded through Roger in ways it never had before. "So Ianto lied to me."

He walked away before Michelle had a chance to answer.

Roger strode into his little office and sat in front of the computer. Picking up his mobile, he called Ianto, only to find that the number was no longer available.

He cursed and threw the mobile against the wall. A few seconds later, Michelle entered the office asking what the hell was wrong with him.

"I need to find Ianto Jones."

"I can try and see where he's been, if you need him that urgently," she offered.

"Please do. This is really important." She opened her mouth to say something, but he interrupted her. "And I'd prefer not to talk about it now, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Just do me a favour and calm down, okay?"

A few hours later, Roger felt calmer and Michelle finally brought him some news.

"Hey, Roger, I'm afraid he's not in London anymore." She sighed.

He frowned. "What do you mean? He's left?"

Roger stood up and started pacing in the office.

"Yes. He bought a ticket to Wales… uh… Cardiff, I think that was it," she said, looking through some papers, "Here it is. Yeah, it's Cardiff."

"What is there in Cardiff that can be related to him?" he asked, trying to come up with an answer.

"Well, there isn't much that could be linked to him there. Although, I don't know if you know this or if it'll help in any way, but Cardiff is the home to Torchwood Three's base."

He stopped and beamed at her. "Of course! Torchwood 3! You're an angel, Michelle." He kissed her on the lips before going back to his computer.

She blushed slightly. "I guess that means I was useful."

"You were more than useful, dear."

"I'm gonna go back to work now. Some of us still do that around here, remember?" She teased him and left to return to her workstation.

Oh, he knew just what he was going to do.

"Ianto Jones, I'll make you regret ever coming near my sister."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Thanks for the response to the first part of this thing. It means a lot to me that you're willing to give this a chance, even if a lot of people have written something similar in the past. You guys rock! So here's the first chapter to follow that prologue. Let me know what you think. As always, all mistakes are mine. If you come across any of these, let me know so I can fix it. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

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><p>Owen walked through the cog door, the sirens bringing a new edge to his headache.<p>

'_I shouldn't have drunk that much last night.'_

Immediately after the sirens stopped, the tortuous sound was replaced by yet another tortuous sound. He heard the two familiar voices arguing.

He looked at Tosh. She shrugged and looked back with interest at the two people arguing by the door to Jack's office.

"Is it even work related this time?"

Tosh shook her head. "Nope."

"How long has this been going on?"

"About 10 minutes." Owen rolled his eyes. "Although I think it's about to end pretty soon. Just hold on a few seconds," Toshiko said.

Owen sighed and Tosh smiled when they heard rather than saw Jack's office door close with a loud bang in Gwen's face, the sound echoing in the Hub and making Owen cringe and hold his head.

"Whatever! This conversation is far from over, Jack!"

Gwen turned around and looked at Owen's and Tosh's raised eyebrows.

"What?" She yelled and stormed past them and out of the Hub.

"Told ya this wouldn't work out and that their personalities would never work well if they were to get together," he stated, shrugging.

Toshiko rolled her eyes at him. "They're not together, Owen."

That made him snigger. "Only 'cause Rhys is in the picture, because we both know the two of them already consummated that little affair they've got going on."

The woman directed her attention back to her computer screen.

"We're not supposed to talk about it. It's none of our business."

"And yet I feel like I'm the one cheating on Rhys just by knowing something big happened - that he clearly knows nothing about - and I didn't say a single word about it to him. Really, I feel like I'm an accomplice to some sort of crime."

"Are you talking about morality? Is being a hypocrite your new hobby or has it turned into a full-time job recently, Owen?"

Owen put his fingers on his temples and rubbed slightly to try and ease the pain away. He sighed deeply. "It's too early in the morning and my hangover is still too intense for this. Just, please, try to keep Jack and Gwen as far apart as possible. I just don't think I _can stand _yet another of their silly, stupid arguments anytime today."

And with that he went back to his workstation to find his miraculous hang over cure.

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><p>"What? I…" Jack sighed. "Just go away, Gwen!" he yelled as he closed the door on her face.<p>

"Whatever! This conversation is far from over, Jack!" He heard her yell back from the other side of the now closed door.

He sometimes wondered if sleeping with Gwen was on the list of the worst decisions he ever made in his whole existence - yes, that bad. He relied on the fact that he didn't really mean to in the beginning to make him feel less guilty and feel better about this whole mess.

It just sort of happened one day. He knew it was bound to happen someday, but he had been doing his best not to follow that path, not to corrupt her like that. He had been having a bad day, the worst that week and he'd lost count of the number of times he had died too.

As always, by the end of a very bad day, Gwen was there ready to offer some comfort. Always the caring one, and he accepted it. He took all he could take from her that night because he _needed it _and not because he _wanted it_. That was his biggest mistake of the whole blighted day. He just wanted to forget his incredibly awful day and he ended up making it worse by taking advantage of her.

Jack didn't want to mention it again but she seemed to want more than just to mention it. She started acting like he could suddenly become a second Rhys to her, as if he'd become domestic and start a family with her. He thought about that and wondered, if he showed himself willing to do that, would she leave Rhys to live a life with him?

To keep from giving Gwen any false hope he started avoiding her and distancing himself from her when they had to be in the same room. It was going really well and he had finally managed to get back to what they were before _that _happened.

That was until she had a massive fight with Rhys and came to the Hub seeking comfort in Jack's arms. One thing led to another and next thing he knew they were together in bed once again.

Ever since then, it would randomly happen; she would end up in his bed. He just consoled himself with the knowledge that he had managed to prevent it from happening a couple of times now. Not that they had sex all that often; they didn't.

Sometimes he'd think of Rhys and how much this would hurt his relationship with Gwen and he'd stop her from going any further. He'd then send her home to Rhys. She'd get angry then and the stupid silly fights would start using any excuse, really, as stupid or unimportant the subject was.

Jack was surprised that so far they still hadn't argued about lamps or lemons. He'd have to bring it up sometime during an argument, just for the sake of a good laugh. It'd probably just get her even angrier, but it was oh so worth it.

He sighed and looked up when he heard a knock on the door.

Standing up, he opened the door to let Toshiko in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I know you like to be alone after a huge argument."

'_This could never be considered a huge argument. Just a rather long and boring one.'_

The immortal smiled warmly at her. "No problem, really. So what's up?"

He went back to his office chair and Toshiko took the chair on the other side of his desk.

"Someone called from MI5 saying they had something important to tell you."

Jack looked expectantly at her, "Yeah did they say what it was?"

Tosh shook her head. "They wouldn't tell me. They just said you'll receive an email with all the details."

"Okay. Shall we look, then?"

He turned to his computer and accessed his email and sure enough there was a message from MI5 waiting to be read. He read it calmly.

"Hmm…"

"What is it?" Toshiko asked curiously, moving behind him to look at the monitor and read the message Jack had just read.

_Captain Jack Harkness,_

_I'm sending you this message to warn you and request your help, since this is of your concern just as it is mine._

_By now I'm sure you are well aware of the events that occurred at Torchwood One Headquarters at Canary Wharf._

_We have received some disturbing information. Even though all the Cybermen were killed and any remains cremated, one of the Torchwood employees - one of the few that survived the devastation - managed to get away with some Cybermen material._

_I'm sure you understand our concern. If he were to ever rebuild the Cybermen Empire it would be a disaster. We wouldn't want to have to face that threat again. It cost us way too much last time._

_I'll call you later, say 1800 hours, and I'll give you all the information you need to find him and deal with him._

_Kind regards,_

_William Addams._

"What time is it?" Tosh asked looking around for a clock.

"It's almost 4 pm. We have two hours before he is supposed to call back. I want everything you can find on this Addams guy before then, I'll let you know when he does call back because I want you to monitor the call."

"Sure, Jack. I'll bring you the info as soon as I get it."

Jack had just finished reading the dossier Tosh compiled when he noticed it was nearly 6 pm. According to the files she had found William Addams was on the team MI5 had sent to handle the cleanup of the Canary Wharf site.

He wondered why they needed his help to find someone. MI5 certainly had the means and authority to locate and detain this guy.

At 6 pm sharp, his phone rang and soon after Tosh was at the door to his office. He nodded for her to come in as he picked up the phone.

"Harkness."

"_Captain Jack Harkness. My name is William Addams. I work for MI5. I take you received my message."_

"Yes, I did. Why does the mighty MI5 need my help to find an ordinary everyday guy?"

"_Well, Captain, we have tried to find him. We wouldn't ask for your help unless it was absolutely necessary. The thing is, we lost his trail as soon as he left London. This soon after Canary Wharf, our men are rather busy with other things as you may know."_

"Sure, but that still doesn't explain the call."

"_When he left London, he went to Wales. The last piece of information we have on him was that he was somewhere in Cardiff. Since Torchwood Three is located in Cardiff and we can't send our men there because they're needed here, we'd like you to find him and prevent him from using the Cybermen technology he took with him."_

"Okay. I'm starting to warm up to the idea. Who is he?"

"_His name is Ianto Jones. He worked as an archivist for Torchwood London, so he'll probably look for similar employment there. I'm sure you have someone working for you who would be able to find him."_

"Yes, I do. So what should I do with him once I find him?"

"_That's up to you, Captain. He's a Torchwood employee. He knows things, don't forget that."_

"He was an employee for Torchwood London. We severed all links with them a long time ago."

"_I'm afraid that's not my concern, Captain. You still have to deal with the mess they left behind, I'm afraid. Deal with him as you see fit. As long as you prevent him from using the material he stole or get someone else to do it for you."_

"I'll see what I can do."

"_I look forward to hearing from you, with good news, I hope."_

"Don't worry. You will."

As soon as he hung up, Tosh became curious.

"So… what did he want?"

"He said I need to find some guy, Ianto Jones, and take the technology he stole from Torchwood London away from him."

"And what are you going to do with him afterwards?"

"First I'm gonna find him and take any Cybermen material he may have and then… then I'll think of something," he told her, not really sure what he was going to do with the man.

"Just… Don't do anything until you're sure, okay? Remember when you found me and offered me a job at Torchwood?"

He sighed and ignored her question purposely. "Find him for me, will you?" She nodded. "Ianto Jones. He was an archivist back at Torchwood One. Let me know when you find something, okay?"

She stood up. "Sure."

"Thanks. That'll be all for now. You can go, Tosh."

She looked a little surprised at him pushing her away so quickly, but then she did as she was told and left the office to look for a specific Ianto Jones in Cardiff. Not the easiest task; Jones was a common surname and Ianto was also very common in the area.

While she was busy searching on her computer, Jack was finishing yet another stack of paperwork, or at least pretending to. His mind was elsewhere.

What should he do with a human who was threatening to put his own race in danger? Should he retcon him or were the chances of him remembering like Gwen did too high to take the risk? Could he really kill another human being just like that? Well, yeah… if they were that big of a threat, he had to. He had done so in the past, and would again in the future.

It was getting late now and the only two people left working in the Hub were Jack and Toshiko.

"Tosh, go home, finish it tomorrow. I'm sure he's not untraceable."

She completely ignored him and focused on her monitors, clicking away.

Jack sighed. "Tosh…"

"I found him!" she said finally with a big smile on her face.

She wrote down an address and handed it to Jack. He smiled.

"Good. I'm going to get my coat and you're going home."

He put his long coat on and walked towards the cog door, with Tosh not far behind.

"Jack?"

He stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Yeah?"

She put her hand on his forearm. "Just promise me you'll make sure before you take any definitive decision, okay? This is a human being, not another alien. As far as we know, he's just a normal guy who decided to move to Cardiff."

Jack sighed and smiled at her. "Okay. For you, I'll ask before I shoot this time."

She smiled. "Good. Now let's get going. I'm really tired. Come on, come on! We don't have all night, Jack!"

Jack's laugh echoed in the empty Hub.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Sorry it took me a while to update this. I was without internet connection for a while. This chapter isn't very long either, but I plan on updating this maybe on Thursday or Friday. Anyway, here's the next part. Let me know what you think!

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><p>After walking Toshiko home, Jack took the address she gave him and decided to investigate, see who this Ianto Jones was and try to make sure this was the right one he was supposed to find and kill.<p>

She had made him promise her that he would talk and ask everything he needed before he took his gun and end this once and for all.

Toshiko was a nice person and he knew she only meant well, but she really had no idea of what something like this would do to endanger the world.

That's one of the hardest things about being a leader, you have difficult decisions to make all the time and sometimes they can decide the future of a person's life... or the end of it.

And even though he didn't really want to do this again, he was starting to think that killing him would be the safest way to deal with this problem.

Although, as he likes to believe, he became a better person after everything that he's been through with the Doctor and this person just had to come along now and test him all over again. It was so not fair.

But the fact that he's changed has part of his mind thinking that maybe killing will not be the solution. He's killed too many in the past and sometimes those thoughts and memories still torment him.

He had to treat this carefully or he'll end up losing his mind and that only leads to mistakes. And he's had his fair amount of those.

Maybe Tosh was right after all and he shouldn't automatically jump to conclusions. It's about time to lose his "shoot first and ask questions later" attitude behind and start acting rationally.

He couldn't afford being wrong; not when there was a person's life at stake.

Walking down the street that led him to the apartment building Mr. Jones lived in, he wrapped himself tighter in his long coat. It sure was freezing cold out there!

Reaching the apartment, he looked up. There was only one light on in the whole building. He didn't need to check the address Tosh gave him again. This would be Ianto Jones' flat.

He looked around and saw a tall building standing in front of Ianto's apartment.

Jack got into the building. Lucky for him, the floor he needed to have access to in order to be able to get a good view to Ianto's flat was some sort of office. Those were always easier to get into. And he just loved that office-y feel.

Moving closer to the window in front of the lit up flat from the other side of the street, Jack put his hand in his coat pocket and retrieved a small pair of binoculars he had found in the Torchwood SUV. He sometimes wondered if the SUV could become some sort of second home to someone with the amount of things that seemed useless at first, but always came in handy every other day.

Looking through the binoculars and into the lit up window of the flat, he could see a living room. It wasn't something with too much furniture in it; it was a quite simple living room, actually.

From the light of the lamps, he could make out two couches with a light colour (it wasn't white, though), a small coffee table sat in front of the biggest of the two couches, there was a small TV and a bookcase stacked with books, lots and lots of them.

'_Could they be about mechanics and technology that would help him deal with the Cybermen material?'_ Jack mused.

There was no Ianto Jones in the room, though. Jack waited and started to wonder if he did get the right flat. He got his answer when he saw a young man walk into the room with a glass in one hand and a photograph in the other.

He certainly looked like the man in the pictures that Toshiko showed him and he smiled proudly for finding this man faster than MI5 ever did.

It really was a pity that he'd have to get rid of this Ianto Jones. He looked really good and just by looking at him, Jack could tell he'd make a great lover. He'd have to stop thinking about him that way. It was a shame, though, that there always had to be something wrong with the good looking ones and this one got just the worst category in Jack's books, which fell right under the title of "wanting to kill their own race, whether intentionally or not".

Maybe he could make him understand what a danger the Cybermen stuff really was to the human race, especially if the Cybermen were to return and try to "upgrade" the whole humanity. Although, as tempting as that may have sounded to Jack at first, he wasn't going to risk all humans in the world just because he wanted to get laid and thought this young man was just too cute to let it pass.

There was a sad smile on his face, though, as he drank from his glass and looked at the photograph in his hand.

Jack now decided to pay more attention to the photograph. Tosh had mentioned a deceased girlfriend - Lisa something - so maybe that was what this was all about.

And right he was. Looking at the picture and adjusting the focus of the binoculars, he could see two people in it: Ianto Jones and his girlfriend Lisa. Both with smiles on their faces and love in their eyes. Maybe now that his girlfriend died he wants revenge or something like that.

'_Or maybe he just doesn't have anymore reason to live and wants to just go and take the rest of the world with him.'_

Was that the real reason that made him want to rebuild such a dangerous empire?

This is exactly why most of the time Jack prefers dealing with aliens and not so much with humans. They're usually more direct with what they want and the reasons why they do it. With humans there's so much psychology and so many layers to it that most of the time, by the end of the day, things still aren't as clear as Jack would want them to be.

Focussing again on his target, Jack thought again about how young he still was - in his mid-twenties - it'd be a shame if Jack had to kill him. But then again, what's the cost of one life compared to a whole world full of innocent lives?

Ianto put the photograph down and drank what was left in his glass in one go and stood up. Moving away from the couch he left the room, turning off the lights on the way.

Gone was also Jack as soon as the lights gone out, silently promising to be back in the morning to investigate further. For Tosh, because he would never break a promise he made to her.

* * *

><p>It wasn't too long after 7 am when Ianto Jones left the apartment and walked down the street in a slow pace, as if to enjoy the morning breeze or the usual quietness of the streets at this time in the morning.<p>

Jack tried his best to be unnoticed and at the same time not keep himself too far apart from Ianto or he'd end up losing his tracks just like MI5 did.

'"_Mission Impossible: Cardiff". Be afraid, Tom Cruise!'_ Jack thought and chuckled, almost immediately regretting it, since Ianto turned back the second he heard it.

He was glad he hid as soon as his brain caught up on the consequences of his act as soon as he did it, which meant Ianto didn't see him and, after a few moments, kept walking.

'_Well, being alive for so long really does help with improving your reflexes, I guess.'_

They kept walking for quite some time. Jack checked his watch to see it was almost 8 am. Looking up, he saw Ianto get into a University. Raising his eyebrow, he went after him, careful to keep the distance.

Hiding behind a wall, he saw some guy unlocking the door of the library just as the huge school clock let him know it were exactly 8 am.

'_Damn, he's good.'_

As soon as the doors opened, Ianto and a few students entered the library, certainly to finish some researches they still had left or some other school work. Or maybe just to catch up on the study.

Jack walked from behind the wall to the large windows of the back of the library where the chances of Ianto seeing him were much less.

Looking inside, he saw him helping students finding the books they needed. And he did it so quick and well.

'_Really, a superb archivist inside a University library would probably know where things are__,__'_ Jack mused.

As he watched the Welshman carefully, he waited for any action that would give away his evil side, something that would prove to Jack how bad of a person he really was and how he was just waiting for the right moment to release his new army and destroy Earth's human life as it was.

But he came up empty of such signals. For all the time he stood there observing and analysing Ianto's behaviour, he seemed a normal human being with an excellent coordination as well as a natural librarian talent.

He even heard a couple of times a few students leave the library commenting, saying that they should've hired someone like him much sooner and that he should run the library full time to make it easier for the students to get their work done on time.

This would all make the killing job so much harder.

Maybe he wasn't an evil person with a twisted plan to put an end to the future of humanity and instead he was just a regular man going through a rough path in his life and ended up finding the Cybermen technology and thought it'd be a good idea to bring a new brand of friends to this world.

Either way, if he really was a threat, being an evil person or just a crazy one wouldn't make any difference. Jack would have to protect the world first and foremost from any threat.

Jack stood close by, still waiting for any changes in his target's behaviour. Just not too close the students would find it suspicious and let someone know about him and blow his cover, but also not too far away he would be able to keep an eye on Mr. Jones.

He learnt that Jones worked in the library from 2 pm to 9 pm, at which time he'd have to close the library for the day. In the morning, he would attend some classes in the accounting area. Probably to get a more qualified job.

Jack now felt like a very good stalker. And that thought didn't seem too creepy at all. Well, not when that meant he was doing a hell of a good job.

He just wasn't aware of a little slip…

* * *

><p>It was almost 9 pm and Ianto Jones was asking the remaining students in the library to please pack their things, leave any books they have used in his desk so he could put them away and leave as he needed to close the library for the day.<p>

After all the students had left and he'd put all the books back to their correct places, he took his coat from the hanger behind his desk and turned off the lights.

He sighed contentedly. This was a good job for him. He got to do what he liked and was good at and he didn't have to worry about his life because he worked for a secret organization.

Thankfully those days were over. Or so he thought.

As he put his coat on and moved to the door, he heard a deep voice and he looked at the farthest window of the library just in time to see a long and blue coat flying as he heard the footsteps moving quickly away from the library.

Running as fast as he could to see who it was, by the time he got outside, there was no more coat, deep voice nor footsteps.

'_I must be going crazy,'_ he thought as he closed and locked the door and left the University to go back home.

Even though this time he wasn't followed, the next morning as he'd be leaving home to go to work, one Jack Harkness would be following him again, without Ianto knowing, thus creating an unusual routine until they finally met face to face.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for everyone that's reviewing and adding the story to the alerts and whatnot. It means a lot to me. And thanks for those who have said that, even though this sort of "what if" storyline has been used by many, each story is written differently and leads to different paths and that they're willing to follow my version of it. =) Also, while we're on topic, even though there are many, I haven't really read any, so if something happens in this story and it reminds you of another one, it's pure coincidence, believe me. That said, I bring you the next chapter.

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><p>Ianto Jones woke up to the alarm clock at 6 am. He'd just had a weird dream. There was a man in a long coat. Somehow that seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite tell why and if it was even remotely connected to his past life and job at Torchwood London, he wouldn't even want to know. So he dismissed it quickly.<p>

He got up and stretched before he moved to the bathroom to take a shower. Ten minutes later, he got out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and looked into the drawers and in the closet for something to wear to work. He got himself a nice new suit to put on. After making the bed, he went to the kitchen to prepare and have some breakfast.

At 6:50 am he was out of the door and so far so good. He even took less time to get ready to work this time around, which would mean that he'd get to the University early and could finish a few things before he had to go to the classes.

It wasn't until he reached the end of the street that led to his flat that he felt it again. That same feeling of being followed.

He stopped and looked around. Who the hell would follow him at 6:50 in the bloody morning?

Not seeing anything strange, he kept going and decided not to waste any more time with it. After all, he was late the day before because he'd gotten it into his head that he was being followed. That intense feeling in his gut that his brain interpreted as being his intuition was sounding like an alarm system.

And he was usually right about that. There must be a reason why he felt somewhat bad when each time he looked back to see if anyone was following him, no one was there. He had never been proven wrong before now.

That's probably the reason why he got out of his flat so early that morning, so he could investigate without risking getting late again.

However, this was also the day that Ianto decided he would shake that feeling away and get to the University early to run a few errands before the teachers opened the doors to the students.

Too bad, though, because if he had cared enough about being followed or not that morning, he probably would have been able to catch Jack this time.

His day went relatively well, calm and uneventful. The other students were nice to him and one of the teachers had found him when he was making some coffee during one of the morning breaks and asked him to please make him some, claiming he needed something to wake up as he hadn't slept a wink the night before.

This resulted in some more teachers coming by the library later that morning, asking for Ianto and his coffee magic, saying he should make it every morning and make sure to ask for a raise for this new and non-official extra job.

He just smiled as he made their coffees and thanked them for the compliments, saying he'd do it gladly, no raise required.

By the time his lunch break arrived, he couldn't shake that gut feeling anymore. He looked around him for someone that didn't look at all familiar or at least slightly suspicious.

He was growing more nervous and was starting to lose his appetite because of the frustration he felt. The weird feeling he's had since five days after he'd set foot on Cardiff ground wasn't going away.

Was someone from the old - and now destroyed - Torchwood One trying to find him? If so, what would they want from him? And why did that long coat seemed vaguely familiar to him?

'_Okay. This is official. I'm getting paranoid!'_

He went to work when his lunch time was over, only to find yet more teachers wanting to have a taste of his now famous coffee.

He waved goodbye at Andrew, the other guy that worked in the library, in the morning.

The rest of the day went by quickly. So wrapped up in his work, he didn't even notice the time passing by. What time was it, really?

They had just received four boxes full of new books that needed cataloguing and needed to be put away.

It was ten to nine in the evening when Ianto asked the people left in there to gather their things and leave so he could close the library and finally go home and rest.

The last girl in the library hesitated by the door and turned back on her heels and walked all the way back to stand in front of Ianto's desk.

"Mr. Jones?"

"Yes. May I help you?"

"I… don't know." Ianto frowned slightly and looked confused. "It's just that… Are you waiting for someone? A ride home or something?"

Ianto frowned deeper and tilted his head.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Well, for the last 3 days I've seen this man standing outside the library… I mean, at first I thought he was a teacher or someone that was just visiting the University, but he hasn't left that same spot, except when…" she stopped, looking down and biting her lower lip.

"Except…?" he urged her on.

"Except when you're not around, Mr. Jones," she explained.

A sudden feeling of panic rushed through his veins and he pushed it away quickly with all the willpower he could muster and his best fake smile immediately took place on his face.

"Don't worry, dear, I'll talk to him and see what he wants," he assured her.

The girl visibly relaxed. "Okay, Mr. Jones. I just thought I should warn you, let you know."

"Yeah. You did well, don't worry."

"See you tomorrow, then. Have a good night, Mr. Jones."

"Thank you. You too."

The girl smiled gently at him and left.

Then, all that feeling of panic he tried to push away invaded his being once again and he was getting quite scared.

So he really was being followed, then. What was he going to do about it?

Putting the last book on its shelf - which unfortunately was a long way from his desk and the exit door - he went back to his desk to retrieve his coat, all the way cursing silently about the size of the library.

He picked his coat from the hanger and shrugged it on. He turned off the library's lights and closed the doors. Hugging his coat as close to his body as possible and putting his hands in his pockets, Ianto left the University and walked down the cold streets, back to his flat.

He had that weird gut feeling again, telling him that someone was watching him, as he clearly heard the clicking sound of whomever it was that was following him and had finally decided on a closer approach.

'_Not with the best of lights, mind you.'_

It was times like these that Ianto Jones thought twice about his job and decided that working in a University library until 9 pm wasn't as great as he had initially thought. Especially when he kept hearing footsteps behind him. That was freaking him out, as he was on his way home and with poor illumination.

He started to hear footsteps growing closer and closer. He started to walk back, moving away from the sound of the incoming footsteps and into a dark alley, hoping he was just being paranoid and there wasn't anyone trying to get to him in this cold and dark night.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of places to run to and he soon felt a wall behind him letting him know he'd reached a dead end and he knew he couldn't escape any longer.

A chill ran down his spine as he felt the fear invading his body.

The sound was now very close and Ianto froze when he saw again a long coat as his stalker walked near a small light coming from a house nearby, which soon was turned off, much to Ianto's luck, making him curse in his head.

'_Urgh. Remember, Ianto, remember. Where did you see that coat before? Where?'_

He closed his eyes and searched through his memory, but nothing helpful came out of it.

"Ianto Jones."

He heard that American accent, that deep voice from the other night again and much closer than he thought now. He suddenly had an idea that would help him escape from this man.

Ianto opened his eyes to look at the man that was now standing in front of him. He needed a better opportunity to set his plan in motion.

"Who… who are you?"

The man smiled, clearly waiting for that question already.

"Captain Jack Harkness."

Upon hearing that new piece of information, something in Ianto's mind clicked and he got the answer he had been searching for just moments before.

He remembered now. The long coat and his owner, Captain Jack Harkness, were oh so famous back at London's Torchwood One.

So much that Ianto felt the need to look into the archives for any references to him. The one that had caught his eye at the time was the one that informed him that Mr. Harkness was the current leader of Cardiff's Torchwood 3, the one he intended to bring Lisa to and hide her until he found a cure. She'd be safer and she'd have anything she needed there. But she died before he even got that far in the plan.

He had heard a few things about him, but mainly the things he heard the most were that he would shag anything if it was pretty enough and that he had severed all ties with Torchwood One, apparently because he didn't agree with their methods. He then decided that Torchwood Three would have nothing else to do with Torchwood One.

Well, he seemed to live up to his reputation, although Ianto would've figured him much older than he looked now that he was standing in front of him.

Ianto shook his head and went back to the present, in time to see Jack moving forward calmly, as if not to scare Ianto away.

He rolled his eyes. _'As if I could really escape somewhere now…'_

Ianto acted on instinct and tried to hit Jack as soon as he came close enough to Ianto, but he missed it, as Jack expertly moved away.

'_Damn those people that have good reflexes when they shouldn't.'_

Before he knew what was happening, Jack had him held against the wall. He tried to free himself, but Jack would only tighten his hold on him.

Jack smirked. "Now, Mr. Jones, that wasn't a very nice thing to do, was it?"

Ianto grimaced as he felt a sudden urge to punch that smirk off his face.

Then a strong sweet smell hit him.

'_What is that? Hmm. It must be aftershave…'_

He sniffed the air around him to try and figure it out, earning him a deep chuckle from Jack.

"51st century pheromones. You people have no idea…"

Ianto squirmed, trying again to escape Jack's dead grip on him somehow, but Jack's hands only held his wrists tighter, as he used his body to pin Ianto to the wall behind him.

Jack looked down at Ianto as both of them fought against each other's grips, either pushing away or holding the other in place.

"Nice suit you've got, Jones."

Ianto groaned in frustration. And there it was, the rumour of another side of his personality just proven right in front of his eyes.

"You're clearly enjoying this."

"And you have no idea of how much, Mr. Jones." Jack smirked again.

"Then this should teach you something."

He raised his knee quickly from against the wall, smiling triumphantly when it came in contact with Jack's groin, making him loosen his grip on Ianto enough to allow him to escape Jack's hold.

Ianto ran down the street as quickly as he could without getting hurt in the long - and now very dark - way home.

He heard Jack's loud laugh echoing in the dark alley he'd just left.

"Feisty. I like that. But this isn't over yet, Mr. Jones. We still need to talk."

He ran out of there and all the way home, only stopping after he reached his flat. Closing the door behind him and making sure it was locked, he let his breath and his heart slow down, feeling calmer and safer now that he was away from Jack.

But deep down he knew the truth. If Torchwood 3 wanted to find him, they would, no matter where he went.

And he had just made their Captain like him even less.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So there you have it, they finally met. Let me know what you think of it and what you'd like to see happening next!

By the way, the next chapter is almost ready, but I'm going to be focusing on another story now, so I probably won't post it until next week. Say... Wednesday/Thursday.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry it took me a while to get this updated. Don't you hate it when you have things planned and life comes and ruins it all? Yeah. Pretty much what happened. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and alerts and all that. You're all awesome! =D Here's the next part. I hope you like it!

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><p>At 6 a.m. the sound of the alarm clock could be heard in the dark bedroom, but Ianto was already awake.<p>

Truth be told, he hadn't slept at all.

Part of him felt good for having his instinct proven right once again: he was being followed, alright. But an even bigger part of him felt worse for that same reason.

He now had the leader of Torchwood 3 following him and Ianto was pretty sure it wasn't for any good reason. He just couldn't figure out what the hell it was that he had done wrong.

Turning off the alarm that was still going on his bedside table, he pushed back the covers and got up.

He slowly made his way to the bathroom, took off his clothes and turned on the shower.

Ianto almost fell asleep under the water that was currently spraying over his body, but this time he was actually glad that his thoughts once again didn't let him or he'd be having a very cold shower in what he could guess to be a freezing cold morning.

Also, he didn't really think that now – when really powerful and somewhat scary people were following him for God knows what – was the best time to get sick and stuck in bed, making it that much easier for them to catch him and… what, kill him? It was a very likely possibility. One that Ianto preferred not to think about as being a possibility at all.

He got out from under the shower and looked at his reflection in the bathroom's mirror. He had just gotten up but not even after a long and relaxing shower did he manage to get rid of that hellish look he still had on him.

Shaking his head and smirking to himself, Ianto decided it was time to shave his face.

Only when he managed to cut his face in 3 different places did he admit to himself that it was a bad idea when he was still clearly lacking much needed sleep. Thankfully they were small cuts and barely noticeable.

Going back to the bedroom, he looked at his bed and sighed. You could totally tell just by the looks of it that he'd been tossing and turning all night long.

He made his way to the other side of the room and stood in front of the closet and picked a dark suit and a purple shirt and got dressed, deciding to deal with the bed later, when he felt less like a zombie.

Ianto went to the kitchen to make some strong coffee, hoping that the caffeine would help him in some way to last through the day without falling asleep at his desk during classes or in the University library, in the afternoon.

Looking at the clock on the kitchen's wall, Ianto knew that, even though he was already awake when his alarm clock when off, this was not one of those days he'd get in 10 minutes earlier to the University.

Actually, he'd be lucky enough if he made it on time. Ianto blamed his tiredness for making him slow down.

He went on with his routine like any other normal day, like he hadn't lost a night's sleep because of the previous night's encounter with Jack Harkness and because he was afraid that if he closed his eyes for more than one second, they'd come and get him.

It was a bit childish and he knew it. It felt like he was afraid of the Bogeyman all over again and he hated feeling like this.

After he finished drinking his coffee, he put the cup down by the sink and went back to his bedroom to get a tie and a pair of shoes.

Throwing one last glance at the bed, he left thinking he'd definitely have to deal with it later.

He picked his keys from the silver plate that sat on the table by the door and left for his classes in the University.

Walking down the streets like every other day since he found a University where he could learn more about accounting as well as he getting himself a nice part-time job there, he didn't get that feeling that someone was following him anymore.

But he still felt extra careful, so every once in a while he'd look back.

After a while he chuckled to himself.

'_God, I'm getting paranoid. And it really does me no good. If I was actually being followed before – and I never saw him when he was stalking me all the way from my flat to the University – I wouldn't see him now either, right?'_ he rationalized.

That still didn't stop him from jumping and quickly turning around to look back when he heard a sound behind him, only to find a stray dog sniffing around, clearly looking for some food.

Ianto put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating way too fast against his ribcage. He sighed and turned around, walking ahead, on his way to the University.

His mind once again went elsewhere, back to what it was that Torchwood wanted from him. He just couldn't help it. He didn't like being in the dark and not knowing things as important as why someone or some institution would want him dead.

Was it something that he had found while archiving that he shouldn't have found and now they wanted to erase that memory from his brain or something?

He had heard about that drug that could erase people's memories. Some of the cases he had archived mentioned people witnessing some alien encounter that had their memories wiped with something called retcon, "for security reasons", they said on their reports.

He had asked Lisa about it once. She'd said that sometimes people witnessed something they weren't supposed to and then threatened to spread it all around the world, to warn the others for alien threats.

They couldn't afford that, so they created these small pills they'd slip in their drinks and they'd forget everything the next day, after a good a relaxing sleep.

Lost in his thoughts, Ianto failed to notice he was stepping into the road just as a car was approaching him.

The piercing sound of the wheels of the car screeching against the asphalt of the road as the driver quickly set his foot on the brake brought Ianto back to the present.

He looked to his side and saw the car standing right next to him. He got lucky this time around.

He heard the horn and the driver's voice as he yelled at Ianto to be more careful and move off the road.

Walking quickly to the other side of the road, he apologised to the driver for being so careless.

'_I have to get my mind to focus on important things now like keeping myself alive or else I'll end up getting killed because of my distractions before the day is over. Not that Torchwood would mind that, it seems. They'd probably leave me a 'thank you' card next to my headstone.'_

Careful not to make any more stupid mistakes, he walked down the street, sighing of relief when he finally saw the University.

When he reached the door of the classroom of his first class that morning, the professor and a few teachers were already inside. The professor asked him if everything was okay as he looked a bit nervous. Nodding, he made his way to his desk. He had also questioned because, as Ianto found out when he looked at his watch, he was already 7 minutes late and he usually got there before everyone else.

After the rest of his classes and his lunch break, it was time to get back to work at the library.

It'd been almost a week now since he got the temporary part-time job there. The director was supposed to tell him today if he was to work there permanently or not.

And the way the day was going so far, Ianto was afraid he'd be unemployed by the end of his shift.

Opening the door quickly, as he was already late again, he barely managed to wish Andrew a good day as he practically ran inside the library and in his desk's direction.

Somehow, the jacket of his suit got caught in a shelf and he ended up knocking a few books to the floor.

Cursing under his breath, he crouched down to pick up the books that were now all over the floor, next to his desk.

A professor approached him and crouched down beside him to help him picking up the books. They placed the book on top of Ianto's desk.

"Are you alright?" asked the concerned professor.

"Yeah, yeah. Just had a lot of trouble sleeping last night and I'm not having the best of days now," Ianto answered sincerely.

"Maybe a good, hot and strong cup of coffee will do you some good," the man said, winking at him.

Taking the hint, Ianto chuckled.

"Yeah, sure. Would you like some too?"

That earned him a good laugh.

"Do you even need to ask?"

After drinking a strong coffee, serving a few more to some students and other people working there and chatting a little, actually made wonders for Ianto's mood. He was feeling less sleepy and distracted and was now feeling more content.

He went back to his desk and picked up the books that he and the professor had put there earlier and decided to put them in their correct shelves.

Ianto was placing the last book on the shelf when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Mr. Jones?"

Turning around, he saw a student smiling politely at him.

"Do you need something?"

"No, thank you. You dropped this."

She handed him an envelope in which could be read, in a careful and unknown handwriting to Ianto, _'Mr. Jones'_.

He took it and eyed it, confused.

"Are you sure?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. It was underneath one of the books, I guess. Maybe it was on your desk before?"

Ianto frowned.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Jones, maybe you got yourself a secret admirer."

She winked and turned away, leaving Ianto alone with his thoughts and frowning at the letter now in his hands.

He turned the envelope in his hands over and over on his way back to his desk. It was sealed.

Reaching his desk, Ianto sat down and grabbed a pen to tore open the envelope and retrieve its contents. Just as his fingers touched the letter inside it, he was interrupted.

"Mr. Jones."

He looked up to see the director looking at him. He stood up and put the envelope in his coat pocket.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"As a matter of fact you can, Mr. Jones. As I told you when I employed you, you were to work here for a week, more or less, and then I would decide if you were to work here any longer. Only time would tell and I'd then make my decision."

Ianto gulped. He suddenly felt very nervous.

"Yes. I remember, sir."

"Well, I've heard a lot of things about you, Ianto Jones. Before I make my decision known, I'd like to try your famous coffee."

Ianto smiled politely. Now that was something that would certainly earn him some points.

"Of course, sir."

They both moved towards the coffee machine, Ianto first to turn it on and make a very special and simply fantastic blend, as this could very well be his last in the University's library.

"Et voilá," Ianto said, handing the cup to the director and smiling brightly.

The director took a sip and frowned at the cup in his hand.

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

Ianto could feel his hands shaking slightly.

"You know, when I heard the professors around here talking about how 'heavenly' your coffee was, I thought they were exaggerating. I mean, a coffee _that_ good? But now that I've tasted it, I beg to differ."

"Oh?"

"This is beyond 'heavenly', Mr. Jones," the director told him sincerely, smiling brightly at Ianto.

Ianto sighed of relief. For a moment it really looked like the director was going to tell him that his coffee surely didn't meet with the expectations he had from what other people had been saying about it.

The director chuckled lightly.

"I got you for a moment there! And, as for your job as a librarian here during the afternoons, the job is all yours, Mr. Jones. Everyone that's been to the library since you've been working here has been saying wonderful things about your work – even Andrew – so I think it's safe to say that I don't see a reason not to employ you for real, this time. We'll set up a meeting next week so we can talk about your job, the salary and the work hours and also for you to sign your new contract."

Ianto grinned. "Thank you, sir. You won't regret the decision you just made."

"I certainly hope not, Mr. Jones!" he yelled over his shoulder as he left the library, adding "Back to work now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Sitting back on his desk's chair, he sighed contently. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all. He allowed himself a relaxing moment before he decided to go back to work.

Standing up and taking his coat off, he hung it behind his desk, remembering the letter he had left in his pocket.

Reaching for it, he suddenly felt nervous and unsure about it. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this letter. He took the envelope out of his pocket and sat down again to read it.

Taking the letter out of the envelope, he started reading.

'_Mr. Jones,_

_I do enjoy a good chase, but I'll let you know that I was supposed to kill you many nights ago, just as soon as I laid eyes on you._

_Although, this really nice person that's part of my team – and also a very good friend of mine – made me promise I wouldn't do so until I talked to you properly about the reason I was sent to find you and kill you._

_So, please, do not make this any harder or I'll take last night's conversation as the talk I was supposed to have with you before I killed you and finish the job the next time I lay my eyes on you and you try to get away from me again._

_I know where to find you, Jones. Remember that._

_Talk to you very soon._

_Jack Harkness.'_

Maybe he shouldn't have started his little happy dance on getting the job so soon. Not when there was still a chance Ianto wouldn't make it to work the next day.

He felt shivers running down his spine. He looked around for any clues that Jack was around but he saw nothing that would suggest that.

The rest of the working afternoon went on ordinarily, with the occasional student asking for help to find a specific book or just another professor asking Ianto for one cup of his "magic coffee", as they would say.

It was when the work was over and it was time to close the library that he felt a hand on his shoulder, jumping a few feet away from the person behind him.

Turning around, he saw a student holding a book, with a very apologetic expression upon his face.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Jones. I didn't mean to scare you."

He forced a smile when what he really wanted to do was scream all his frustrations away. He didn't even want to think about what he would have done if it had been Captain Harkness instead of that young man.

"Don't worry, I'm just a bit jumpy lately, that's all." He chuckled and added, "Working this late and being the last one to leave the workplace sometimes messes with your head big time."

The young man smiled at Ianto.

"Still, sorry for making it even worse for you. It's just that I needed to find you now. You see, I was supposed to deliver back this book today, but I totally forgot about it until I was on my way home. The thing is that you already closed the door now. Would you mind taking the book with you? Because this way I still delivered it on time. Well... technically, that is."

Ianto nodded and smiled.

"Sure. I'll take the book with me and tomorrow I'll tell Andrew I forgot to write it down on the sheet. Tell me, what's your name?"

"James. James Watson."

"Okay, James. Don't worry about it. I'll make sure you delivered it on time."

The young man grinned.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Jones."

"No problem. Just try not to do it again next time."

"I'll try my best. Have a good night!"

"Goodnight."

Taking the keys from the door and holding the book to his chest, Ianto made his way back to his flat, momentarily forgetting about Jack Harkness and Torchwood.

Getting his mail, he opened the door to his flat while going through his mail and trying his best not to drop the book that was currently under his arm. He ceased to notice there was someone already waiting for him to arrive home.

"So, Jones, how was the walk home?"

Ianto jumped, gasping and dropping the book and the envelopes.

"You're getting a little clumsy. You should be more careful with your things."

Ianto recovered from the shock and picked up the book and his mail while throwing a death glare at Jack.

"What the hell are you doing inside my flat? And how did you get in?"

"A magician never reveals their secrets, right?" Jack answered, getting up from the chair he'd been sitting on and moving closer to Ianto.

"And I think you know why I'm here. I take it you received my letter."

Ianto shivered as he stood in place, watching Jack approach him and he subconsciously tightened his hold on the book.

"I did. So... are you here to... kill me?"

Jack smirked as he stood now two feet away from Ianto.

"Well, that depends on you, Mr. Jones."

Ianto waited for Jack to take a step closer and threw the book at him. This time around he didn't miss and the book hit Jack's face.

While Jack recovered from the hit, Ianto ran inside the living room looking for something he could use as a weapon.

"Really, Jones? I give you a chance to talk things through calmly and you throw a book at my face? Do you hate your life that much?"

'_Only__ since you became a part of it without permission.'_

He could clearly hear Jack moving around the flat, looking for him. He decided not to voice his thoughts so he wouldn't give away his current location.

"Okay. We'll talk, then. But keep in mind that when I find you, Mr. Jones, it's gonna get ugly for you."

Ianto took a deep breath to calm himself. How was he going to get away now?

"I was asked to find you and kill you. It had something to do with your old job and Canary Wharf. Care to guess?"

'_My old job? Canary Wharf? What does my archiving job have anything to do with what happened at Canary Wharf?'_

"You worked at Torchwood London. I'm sure you are well aware of what Cybermen material is capable of."

'_Destroying the lives of your loved ones. Learnt that lesson the worst way possible,'_ he thought, remembering Lisa and how he planned to save her, make her human again. Did Jack find out about his plan to hide Lisa in his Torchwood base until he could find a way to get rid of all the Cybermen technology attached to her body? _'He couldn't have!'_

"Is this about Lisa?"

There was silence. All he could hear were Jack's footsteps approaching. Now Jack knew where he was.

'_Ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid__...'_

"Now we're talking, Ianto Jones. Tell me all about it and I may even let you get out of this alive."

He moved closer to the door that would lead him to the front door. Maybe there was still a way of getting out of this.

"She was my girlfriend. She got converted. Lisa died during the Canary Wharf war."

"Did she?" Jack sounded sceptic and Ianto wondered how much he knew about all this.

"No. She died later."

"Where was she when she died?"

Jack's voice sounded much closer, but Ianto looked around and still couldn't find him.

"In our flat back in London. I tried to find a way to make her human again. I'd found the perfect doctor, but I didn't have the right equipment nor the right amount of energy to keep her alive for much longer. Then I found Torchwood 3."

Ianto tried to hear any sound that would tell him Jack's position, but he couldn't hear anything.

That was until he felt a hand on his neck, pinning him to the wall behind him. He closed his eyes and bit his lip when his head hit the wall.

"You found Torchwood 3? What's that supposed to mean?" Jack's angry and questioning gaze was now inches away from his face.

"I... I worked in the archives, as you know. Finding Torchwood Cardiff was easy and you had the perfect place for me to put her in. She'd be alive and safe."

"I never would've let you bring her to our headquarters."

"You never would have known," Ianto said, truthfully.

"I never would have hired you to make part of my team."

"Oh, you would. Believe me."

There was a tiny spark of surprise in Jack's eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"So your plan was to gain out trust and then hide a Cyberman in our basement?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Jack's hold on Ianto's neck tightened at that.

"Are you crazy? That would be suicide! It'd be only a matter of time until it tried to kill us all!"

Ianto started to get angry.

"She! She was still human!"

"There's no way to convert her back. She'd never be human again."

"You're wrong!" Ianto yelled as he tried to take Jack's hand away from his neck, but with no such luck.

Jack sighed.

"So it is true what they told me."

"What? What did they tell you? And who are they?"

"MI5 sent me to kill you to prevent you from using the Cybermen material you have here with you. Where is it? What have you done with it?"

"What are you talking about? The only material I had was in London, to keep Lisa alive while I found the doctor I needed to fix her."

"You're lying!" Jack snarled and tightened his grip on Ianto's throat.

"I... I'm not. You can... take a look around. Please... you're hurting me."

Jack took a step back and let go of Ianto. He coughed and rubbed at his neck.

"They wouldn't send me if they weren't sure. You have to be hiding it somewhere," he said as he started to look around for anything suspicious.

"Who was it, again?"

"MI5."

Ianto froze.

"What? What is it?" Jack questioned, as he saw Ianto completely still.

"Lisa's brother. He works there."

"So...?"

"I didn't tell him Lisa was with me. I didn't even tell him she was converted. I told him that Lisa was in the hospital, recovering."

"And he never went there to check it?"

"He was out of the city on a mission when the whole thing at Canary Wharf happened."

Ianto sat down on the sofa and rubbed his temples. "What if he found out?"

"Would he seek revenge? Lie and try to get you killed for it?"

"If he thought I was responsible for his sister's death, yeah. Probably. Who sent you here?"

"William Addams. He's for real, I checked it. Is that him?"

Ianto frowned. "No. He's Roger Hallett. He works there, though. Maybe he managed to get his boss to believe him in how much of a dangerous person I am."

"I need to make sure you're telling the truth. If you are, we'll talk again and decide what to do. If not, you're gonna be very sorry, Ianto Jones."

Ianto gulped.

Jack moved to leave, but paused at the door.

"Oh, one more thing: not a word about this to anyone or you'll be just an equal threat and you'll end up forgetting 3 years of your life, just to make sure."

Jack left Ianto with his thoughts.

Was there ever a way to truly leave Torchwood or would it always come back to find him and getting him into trouble?


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hi! Sorry it took me a while to publish this, but both me and my beta have had crazy weeks lately and we couldn't seem to get our schedules to work together, so this was delayed. On a side note, I think the amount of work I have to do will decrease by Friday, so I might get some more writing done after that. I'll try and post the next chapters more regularly. Don't hold me to that, though. Life doesn't always let you predict things like that. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and the alerts. I hope you're enjoying. Here's the next part!

* * *

><p>He woke up upon hearing someone knocking on his door. He looked at the clock on his nightstand to see it were 5 am. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and made his way to the door in order to stop whoever it was that was trying to take down the door and wake up all his neighbours on the way.<p>

Yawning, he inserted they keys on the lock. As soon as he opened the door, Jack strode past him and into the living room.

"Hello, Captain Harkness, would you like to come in?" Ianto asked, sarcastically before he made his way back to his living room where Jack was now waiting.

"So, what was it that made you act like a normal person today and knock instead of getting in like you did yesterday? Tell me because this is a huge event, even though it seemed like you were just trying to take down my door."

Jack shrugged. "Realised you're probably not that dangerous to the human kind."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You woke me up at 5 am to tell me something I already told you yesterday? Don't you know that I have classes to attend as well as a job?"

"I needed proof. So it turns out that this Roger works at MI5, just like you said. And I checked your flat. No Cybermen material. Either you have it elsewhere or you just don't have it at all."

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed.

"I must be dreaming some weird guy woke me up to tell me this. I'm going back to bed."

He turned around and started walking towards his bedroom when Jack's voice stopped him.

"Oh, so you'd be dreaming about me? Go ahead; don't let me stop you from having such pleasant dreams!"

Ianto walked all the way back to see a big grin in Jack's face. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm awake. So what else did you find?"

"Addams - or whoever it was that spoke to me on the phone and asked me to find you - told me that they've looked for you, but they lost trace the minute you left London and set foot on Cardiff soil. Do you think they'll keep looking for you if I don't get rid of you like they asked me to? Because, if you're really telling the truth about not having any Cybermen technology with you, you might be in serious danger and you would need our protection."

Ianto sighed.

"Unless Roger has found something that'd make them come after me – and I mean concrete proof – then I don't think they would. But he might. And Torchwood protects people against alien threats. He's a human threat. I don't need your protection."

Jack raised his eyebrow as Ianto opened the flat's door.

"You can go now. And I hope to never have to see you again."

"You said so yourself that we usually don't protect people if not from alien threats. I've made an exception for you and you're refusing it. You really are something special, Ianto Jones."

Jack stepped towards the door, but hesitated and stopped.

"Oh, and I wouldn't mind at all having to see you again." He winked and then turned serious again, "Now, really, if you change your mind and decide you could use our help, just give me a call. I'll leave you a card."

Ianto rolled his eyes, but actually took the card.

"You just wanted me to call you," Ianto teased.

"But of course! I'd love to hear those beautiful Welsh vowels coming from you. Would you ask me out on a date?" Jack asked, grinning.

Ianto scoffed.

"I would never go out on a date with you because there wouldn't be enough space for me, you and your ego in the same room."

"I'd leave my ego behind for a bit, if necessary. Besides," he added, grinning as he grabbed Ianto's waist and pulled him close, "we wouldn't need that much space."

Ianto pushed him away and out of the flat.

"Keep dreaming, Jack."

"With you?"

Ianto closed the door and sighed.

_'What the hell was that? I think that's what happens when someone wakes me up at 5 in the bloody morning. I need some very strong coffee now.'_

* * *

><p>Coming down from the rooftop of a building nearby, Jack made his way back to the Hub a couple of hours later.<p>

As soon as the cog wheel opened and he stepped inside, Gwen came rushing.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Jack frowned. "I was just visiting someone."

"Visiting someone? Is that what you're calling it now? Jack, we've been extremely busy here without you! Why weren't your coms working?"

"Wow. Will you chill out a bit?"

"Chill? Jack, it's been 34 days since you got back. We were worried you'd left us again."

"You actually counted the days?"

"Shut up, Owen!" Gwen yelled.

Jack sighed.

"Okay. First of all, I wasn't aware that the coms were off. I wouldn't make myself unreachable on purpose when I know you may need my help. Secondly, that wasn't an euphemism. I really just went out to talk to someone and that's not relevant to the case. Also, I promised I wouldn't leave like that ever again without telling you so."

"You're supposed to be our leader, Jack. You can't just leave the Hub without telling us how long it'll take until you get back."

"Are you this controlling of your boyfriend, Gwen?"

"This is the last time I'm warning you, Owen. Next time I'm taking my gun out."

"Owen..." Tosh warned. She knew Gwen was way out of her usual self to be teased now.

"What? Why am I always punished for pointing out the truth? Do you see the way she treats Rhys?"

Gwen took her gun and shot Owen in the arm before Jack could stop her.

"Gwen!" Tosh yelled as she now applied pressure to Owen's wound.

"Be glad it was just your arm, Owen. Next time I'm aiming for your head," she snarled at him.

"Gwen! In my office, now," Jack told her as he was already on his way there.

"When did she become such a bitch?" Owen questioned as soon as the door to Jack's office closed.

"You should've known better. You knew you shouldn't push her like that. She could only react that way when she's pissed off with Jack."

Owen sighed and then winced as he moved to the autopsy room to take care of his wound.

"Where was Jack anyway?"

"I'm not very sure, but he's having me search all these people from MI5 and Torchwood London. I think the target was Ianto Jones. I'm not sure if Jack let him go or if he actually killed him." She shivered at that thought. "I hope he didn't. That would also mean this Ianto wasn't as much of a threat as Jack was told he was."

"But what if he isn't, will Jack retcon him?"

Tosh looked at him and shrugged.

"I... I'm not sure. I mean, he was part of Torchwood. He knows better than to leak any information about us and what we do. But there are also the security measures Jack has to follow..."

Owen nodded. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

* * *

><p>"What now?"<p>

"What now? Did you see what you just did? You shot a colleague, for God's sake!"

"And did you see the way _he_was treating _me_? He deserved it," Gwen said, as a matter of fact.

"He deser... Maybe it was you who deserved to hear what he said!"

Gwen slapped him hard across the face and Jack just stood there, his head turned, feeling his cheek burning.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. You know I didn't really mean to do that. Owen has been messing with my head, that's all. I'm sorry."

She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head to make him look at her.

He still didn't say a word.

She closed the distance between them and kissed him. He lost himself in the kiss for a moment before he grabbed her arms and pushed her away from him as far as he could.

"No, Gwen. We can't. Ever again."

"Up until now you didn't care about that. What happened to you today? You came back a total different person."

"Why do you think I came back a different person? Is it because I rejected you just now? Gwen, I care, okay? I don't want to keep doing this to Rhys. He's a nice guy and he doesn't deserve any of this," Jack said as he turned around, wanting to keep as much space between them as possible.

"It hasn't stopped you before."

"Well, it's stopping me now. Are you even listening to yourself? Go home, Gwen, and don't come back until tomorrow."

Gwen let out an angry grunt as she stormed out of Jack's office.

Jack leant against his office's door, head low with his hands on his pockets and sighed deeply.

A moment later he looked up to see Owen and Tosh's questioning gazes. Owen spoke first.

"Out again?"

Jack nodded.

"What about Ianto Jones?" Toshiko asked.

"As far as we can tell and from the evidence we've got, he's not a threat but he might be hiding something, somewhere. If not, I'm afraid he might be in danger."

"Are you going to retcon him once you're done figuring out if he's one of the bad guys or one of the good guys?" Owen asked.

"He was Torchwood before it got destroyed. I just don't know how much we can trust him. But I'll investigate closer to get an answer to that." He smiled.

"Careful, Harkness. Don't go on corrupting everyone else in this city."

"I don't count as corrupting when they're willing," Jack said, winking.

Owen groaned. "I'm gonna go before he decides to make this any worse."

"You know you like it," Jack teased.

Tosh laughed at Owen's facial expression just before he left for the autopsy room again. She then turned to Jack, who was smiling slightly at her.

"You're still not sure?" Jack shook his head. "Will we get to meet him if you decide not to retcon him?"

"I don't know. Do you want to? You know where he lives..."

"It's not like I can just go there and introduce myself."

"I did."

Toshiko raised her eyebrow. "You're Jack. And you were investigating him. Different situations."

"I can introduce you. You can be friends."

Tosh chuckled. "Aren't you afraid I'll steal his interest from you?"

"Hey, I have my charms!" he said, wiggling his eyebrows and making her laugh.

* * *

><p>It was nearly 6 pm when a young woman approached Ianto at his desk in the library.<p>

"Mr. Jones."

"Yes. May I help you?"

"Someone told me to give you this," she said as she handed him an envelope.

He took it and frowned.

"Who did?"

"The person told me it was a surprise and that you'd figure it out the moment you read it," she explained.

"Okay... Thank you, I guess."

"You're welcome, Mr. Jones," the young woman said and moved away.

He opened the envelope carefully. The letter inside it had _'__Mr.__Jones__'_ written in a somewhat familiar handwriting. Ianto frowned as he thought of who it might be as he took the paper out of the envelope to read it.

_'Ianto Jones,_

_I hope you're enjoying your "vacation" as best as you can, because it certainly won't last longer. I'll be keeping my eyes on you until I find the perfect time and place we'll meet again for the last time._

_You'll be hearing from me. What you did will bring you consequences you've never imagined.'_

Ianto froze for a moment before his brain kicked in and he started to look around for the girl that delivered him the letter.

She was nowhere in sight and he was starting to freak out.

His right hand immediately went to his pocket to retrieve his mobile phone and dial the number.

_"Hello? Is that you, Ianto?"_

"Yes. I need your help. Meet me at the old park in one hour."

_"I'll be there."_

* * *

><p>Ianto sat in a bench in the old park an hour later. He looked around at the old swings and the trees that surrounded them.<p>

He heard the sound of feet crushing the leaves on the floor and turned to see who he was expecting.

"Hey. Are you okay? You sounded a bit stressed over the phone," the woman said.

"I just really need your help with something. I think I might be in some serious danger."

She nodded at him to continue.

"I need you to search someone for me. I need to know his whereabouts in case I need to protect myself."

"Sure. Anything for a dear old friend."

"His name is Roger Hallett."

She frowned. "Wait, isn't that..."

"Lisa's brother. He thinks I'm responsible for her death."

"Her... She's dead? How long has it been since our last chat, Ianto? It's like I missed the end of the world or something... Suddenly you're back in Cardiff and asking me to find out where your dead girlfriend's brother is, because you're afraid he holds you responsible for her death? What the hell?"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I promise I'll tell you all about it, just not now, because I really need to get back to work. We can always meet somewhere later, if you're available."

She nodded. "Sure. I know this great restaurant not too far from here. We can meet there as soon as you're off work. When do you leave?"

"I usually close the University's library at 9 pm."

"I'll wait for you outside, then."

She gave him a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "It's always nice to see you again."

* * *

><p>It was almost 9:30 pm when they got out of the car and entered the restaurant.<p>

As the waiter left after getting them a table, Ianto looked around the place.

"Are you sure I can afford this place? I work in a library now. What I earn now is not even half of what I used to get when I worked for special ops."

She chuckled and pointed at the menu.

Ianto looked at it and then back at her with his eyebrows raised.

"Looks can be deceiving," she explained.

They ordered their respective meals and then slipped into a nice going conversation about Sarah's life, her boyfriend Michael and how she had a feeling he was going to propose sometime soon.

"How do you know?" Ianto asked as the waiter brought their food.

"Aww, come on. Haven't you heard about women's intuition? I must say it's pretty powerful."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not even scientifically proven."

"Whatever. If he proposes in the next... uh... let's say two months, then you'll give it some credit. What about that?" she proposed as she extended her hand for him to take and make it official.

Ianto shrugged as he shook her hand. "It's still not scientifically tested, but..."

She smiled.

He knew she was going to mention his life anytime soon. After all, that was kind of the whole point of this meeting. Why he got back to Cardiff and what was all about Lisa's death and her brother seeking revenge.

"So what made you leave special ops in London?"

Bingo.

"Well, it's complicated, but let's say that some enemies found our base and attacked us. They destroyed it completely. A lot of people died. Some are probably still in hospitals recovering, some decided to take this opportunity to change the way their lives were going. Like me. I decided to work in a calmer environment and still do something I like. Hence why I'm studying to expand my archiving knowledge and working in a library afterwards. It's my sort of practice, I guess."

"Ianto..." Sarah started and paused, making Ianto look up from his plate.

"Yes?"

"You had me search Lisa's brother."

He nodded. "Yes, I did."

"You _must_ know that I also went into Lisa's background and I clearly remember you telling me that you both worked for the same place, although you had different kind of jobs."

He frowned, wondering where she was going with this. "Yes. I was an archivist. She wasn't."

Sarah sighed as Ianto went back to his meal, completely oblivious to the point she was trying to make. She decided to be a bit more direct.

"Torchwood London."

Ianto coughed.

"What?"

"Oh, come on. Drop the act. You didn't work for special ops. You worked for the ever so famous and mysterious Torchwood. The one no one knows anything about apart from the fact that it exists and seems to be one of the most powerful things on Earth. Share the wealth. What does Torchwood do, anyway?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

He wiped his mouth with the napkin, before calmly stating "That's classified."

"Ianto, I just hacked into MI5 to get all the information I could on Roger, risking Hell knows what – that I prefer to not even think about – so I could find what you asked me for and you're denying me something so simple as telling me what is Torchwood's mission in this world?" she pointed out as her tone elevated, making one of the waiters look at their table to see what it was all about.

"Will you please keep quiet? I don't need an audience here." He whispered. "I can't tell you, Sarah. You'd be risking just as much as you did with MI5. Or even more."

She looked at her plate and spoke quietly. "I thought you didn't keep secrets from me. We used to be friends."

He grabbed her hand to make her see that he was being sincere.

"We are friends. And I don't usually keep secrets from you. I just need to keep this one to myself. You're playing it low to get the answers you want. But I'm doing this for your own sake, believe me."

"Why?" she insisted. "What could they possibly do to me that could be so bad that you have to keep this from me for my own sake?"

He let go of her hand and went back to finishing his meal.

"They could give you retcon."

"Give me what?"

"Retcon. It's something they use to wipe people's memories so they can keep their secrecy. They would, of course, decide how much you would have to forget to keep them from getting exposed and to keep you away and stop messing with their business," he explained.

After a moment of silence, Sara spoke again in a disbelieving tone.

"Is that for real?"

He looked at her, frustration evident in his expression.

"Yes, Sarah. And I'm trying really hard to keep that from happening. To both of us. It goes without saying that I did not just tell you that," he said, pointing accusatorily at her with his fork.

"Sure. Okay. Wow. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know." Pause. "You still don't."

There was an awkward silence.

"I... Roger. He's in town," she said, capturing Ianto's attention once again, interested in this new piece of information.

"He's staying in a flat across the street from the University you work and study."

"He's _that_ close? No wonder he found me rather quick."

"There's more..."

"What else did you find?"

"He's been trying to contact with Torchwood Three. How many are there, by the way?"

"Now that Torchwood One got destroyed, there are only 3 other bases left. As far as I know. But has he succeeded? I mean, has he talked to someone there?"

"Well, I can't really know for sure. Torchwood is way more difficult to hack into than MI5 was," she answered, looking somewhat disappointed.

"Thank you, Sarah. I have enough information. You're a very good friend."

She smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. Just remember you'll have to pay for my services sometime in some way."

For the first time since Lisa died, Ianto Jones laughed and meant it.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I'm so sorry about the delay. I had written this some time ago, but I had to go back and edit some stuff, but then I didn't have as much free time to do it as I would've liked to. Really sorry, guys. Anyway, here is the next chapter. There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I'll try and post the next chapter next week or something. *crossing fingers* Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Ianto waved Sarah goodbye from the flat's entrance, as she went away in her car.<p>

He ascended the stairs to his flat. Opening the door and taking his shoes off as he entered, he saw a shadow standing in his living room. He sighed.

"I thought you would've learnt some manners by now. One important rule: do not break into other people's homes; they'll probably get mad."

Jack shrugged. "It was cold outside and I got tired of waiting."

Ianto rolled his eyes and took his coat off, hanging it by the door.

"You could've left. That would've saved us all this trouble and I would've been feeling so much better now that I wouldn't have to put up with you," he said as he sat down on the couch.

Jack pouted at him. "That didn't come from your heart."

"No, Jack. It came from my mouth. Didn't you hear what I just said?"

He shrugged as he sat down beside Ianto.

"You should let your heart speak every once in a while." He casted a flirtatious glance at the man sitting by his side. "I would love to know what it thinks about me."

"Oh, would you like me to tune in right now? Let's see... Hmm. Yeah. All I'm getting is that you are an annoying bastard. Good enough for you?"

Jack smiled. "Your sarcasm does wonders to me, Mr. Jones."

"What do you want, Jack?"

Jack's smile dropped upon sensing Ianto's seriousness.

"A girl... uh..."

The Welshman raised his eyebrows.

"I don't think I can help you with that. Sorry," he answered as he got up from the couch.

"What was her name? Hmm... Oh! Sarah Goodman, if I'm not mistaken."

Ianto stopped dead in his tracks.

"Now, that rings some bells, doesn't it, Mr. Jones?"

Ianto gulped before turning around, his face a pure mask of calm.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why she was trying to get into our servers."

He stood up and walked around Ianto, as a predator would do with his prey. "You were having dinner with her not long ago, if I'm correct, so you probably know what she wanted."

The Welshman shrugged. "I know she didn't get anything."

"I know that too, Mr. Jones. I only hire the best. Toshiko knows what she does and she keeps us from getting people infiltrating our databases and getting all the information they want to use it against us in some way later."

"Leave Sarah out of this. She doesn't know a thing."

"Doesn't she? I don't know... They do say it's better to be safe than sorry. See, I don't want to risk her spreading the word. Did you tell her about us?"

Ianto chuckled darkly. "And what would I tell her? That you're an organisation pretty much like the one I used to work for that was supposed to protect people's lives and yet it destroys so many? That because of you my girlfriend died?" He laughed humourlessly. "Or maybe that, because of you, her brother now knows where I am and where work and threatened me?"

Jack suddenly froze upon hearing the last bit of information. "Wow, wow, wait a second. What did you just say?"

"He found me, okay?"

"What? How?"

"I don't know. How am I supposed to? Besides, that's what Sarah was trying to figure out. Apparently he's been calling you guys at Torchwood Three. That's why she was messing in your business."

"Thankfully, Tosh knows better than to let someone just search through our stuff. God knows what she would do with the information she might have stumbled upon."

"She wouldn't use it against you," Ianto assured him.

Jack sighed.

"Well, I don't take all the calls and it's not very often we get a civilian to call our home base. I'll ask my team. I'd also like to keep an eye on you. I don't know what this guy wants from you, but you seem to be a nice person, therefore I'm gonna do my best to keep you safe. Even if that means I'll have to follow you around 24/7, either you like it or not."

"Now that would be one of your dreams coming true, huh? I do have a say in the matter and having someone like you follow every step I take is not on my list of acceptable things, sorry."

Jack grinned. "Whatever you say, I'd still follow you if I deemed necessary. But I wouldn't mind at all, Jones. By the way, my tech expert wanted to meet you."

Ianto frowned at the sudden change of direction in their conversation.

"What?"

"My tech expert. Toshiko."

"You're going to start introducing me to your team? Jack, I don't want to make friends within Torchwood again. I just want all of you out of my life as quickly as possible. And I would prefer to keep my memory intact, so the less I know about you lot, the better. I appreciate you not having me killed when you found me, but that's it. We're not going to be friends nor am I going to be part of your team. I'm done with Torchwood in every way possible."

Jack just looked at him for a moment before he spoke.

"You know, I'm not even asking you this for my benefit. I think I pretty much get that you don't want me in your life with you always pushing me away and talking me like this every time I try to get closer to you, but Tosh is a completely different person and I personally think it's the least you could do after what she's done for you."

He walked in front of Ianto so he could see he was being serious about it, no more joking around.

"As far as the friendship thing, would you rather have me meet you in some coffee shop and then become friends with you?"

Ianto scoffed. "That's a better way than stalking me, threatening me and then, after realising I'm really not all that dangerous, trying to worm your way in by flirting with me."

Jack tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, that would have been way more pleasant but, as you know now, the first time I heard your name, it came associated with the words "Cybermen material", "dangerous" and "must be killed", so sue me if my approach wasn't all warm and friendly. But I'm trying really hard to make things right, okay? And that's not something I do often and you're not helping either. We're going to help you with your dead girlfriend's brother."

Ianto sighed and looked down as Jack continued.

"Meanwhile, you could at least give us the benefit of the doubt. We're not bad people; we're just doing our jobs. And we're nothing like your old Torchwood. If after all this is over, you don't want anything more to do with us, then fine, we'll leave you alone and never bother you again."

Silence took over the living room as Jack waited for Ianto's reaction and the latter thought about what Jack had just said.

After a moment he looked up and nodded.

"Okay. You were right about a few things."

Jack raised his eyebrows as he waited patiently for something more solid and clear than that.

Ianto sighed. "I agree to meet your friend Tosh."

The Captain grinned and his whole face lit up with excitement.

"I could totally kiss you right now."

Ianto raised his hand in front of him to prevent Jack from coming any closer, a look of disgust in his face.

"My God! As if I'd let you do such thing! And you'd totally get punched for it, mind you."

"Just keep in mind that kisses are meant to be stolen and I'm gonna have my chance with you," he said, winking at Ianto and making him roll his eyes in response.

"So when and where will I meet this lovely friend of yours?"

"Well, you know that working for Torchwood makes it kind of hard to plan something into the future, but if things are calm enough, maybe I could pick you up and introduce you to my team, show you our base..."

Ianto held up a hand, interrupting him.

"Stop right there. I agreed to meet her, not the whole family just yet."

"Okay. I'll pick you up and we'll have lunch or dinner together."

Ianto went back to the couch.

"You should probably call first, if you're not sure it'll be lunch or dinner. It's not like I can just leave anytime I want."

Jack smirked.

"Oh, I see. You didn't call me because you wanted me to take the first step, is that it?"

Ianto sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. I'm just too tired to bother right now."

Jack looked at the tired young man and decided to help release the tension he could sense emanating from his body.

Upon feeling Jack's hands massaging his shoulders, Ianto quickly opened his eyes and moved away from the couch.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked as he threw him an accusatory glance.

He took a step back and put his hands up.

"Hey, I was just trying to help you relax. I wasn't gonna try anything else, I promise."

"You promise..." He chuckled. "And you expect me to just trust you after everything that's happened since you entered my life?"

"You say that like it was that bad of a thing. It could've been much worse, if you remember the reason I met you in the first place."

Ianto sighed and sat down on the couch again.

"I know. I'm sorry." He leant against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. "No funny stuff there."

Even with his eyes closed he could tell Jack had an enormous grin on his face.

"Now, isn't that just mean?"

He couldn't help but chuckle at that.

* * *

><p>Ianto woke up the next morning at 6am, hearing his alarm clock ringing faintly. Taking a look around, he found himself wrapped in a blanket while lying on his couch.<p>

He must have been really tired because he didn't remember Jack leaving nor did he remember getting a blanket and deciding to sleep on the couch that night.

Yeah, that must have been Jack's doing.

Getting up, he decided to get on with his usual routine before going to the University, all the while thinking about what Roger could do to him once they met again.

He shivered as he set his foot on the University entrance, knowing now that Roger could be by the window at his place, planning the next move against Ianto in his plan of revenge.

Ianto knew he shouldn't underestimate him. And the fact that he didn't, just made Roger look all that more dangerous to him. He knew he was capable of something really awful if he wanted to and since he actually got the MI5 and even Torchwood to believe Ianto was someone they needed to get rid of, just made that even scarier for Ianto.

Still, Ianto wouldn't go down without a fight. He was innocent and that was all he needed right now to keep him sane and focused on more important things. Roger said he'd let him know in advance when the time would come and they would meet again for the last time, in his words.

It was only later that day that he remembered he'd promised Jack he would meet Toshiko, and that was when his mobile rang.

"Hello?"

_"Mr. Jones, it is so nice to hear your voice."_

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Jack, I need to go back to work if I still want to pay for my studies and home, so if you could please be quick."

_"My... That sounded kinda dirty, you know? Anyway, me, you and Tosh are gonna have dinner tonight. We'll pick you up after 9. Is that okay with you?"_

"Yeah, sure," he answered almost automatically.

There was a silence on the other end and then Jack spoke.

_"You're not gonna bail on me, are you?"_

"I'm a man of my word, don't worry."

_"Good. We'll see you later."_

"Sure. Bye."

* * *

><p>"Tosh?"<p>

She looked up from her computer.

"Yes? Is it time already?"

Jack nodded as he picked his coat from the hanger.

"Yeah. We should probably get going."

"And where are you going, again?" Gwen asked, as she crossed her arms and watched them prepare to leave.

"I'm going to introduce someone I know to Tosh over dinner," Jack answered with a smile on his face.

"Yes, but where? I mean, what if we need to pick you up if we need help with a case?"

Owen watched from the doorway to the autopsy room, his eyebrows rose, waiting for another argument to start between Jack and Gwen.

"You and Owen are very capable of taking care of things on your own. Besides, we'll take a car with us. If you need something really important, just call us and tell us where to meet you."

That seemed to silence Gwen's protests. Toshiko waved them goodbye and Jack just nodded.

Just as he was about to leave through the cog door, Gwen ran to him, making Owen roll his eyes and get back to his work.

"Jack! Will you be back afterwards?"

Jack sighed. He was getting tired of this, but he really didn't want to argue with Gwen about this right now.

"I don't know, but I don't want the two of you to wait until I get back. Just make sure to direct any alert to my mobile phone before any of you leave."

"But I..."

"Good night, Gwen. I don't want to see you here when I get back."

When he got outside, Toshiko was already waiting for him inside the car.

"Sorry. I just couldn't stand there and hear yet another argument. That's like the only thing you do now."

Jack chuckled.

"Sometimes I feel tempted to let her win the argument just so I can leave."

That earned him a good laugh from Toshiko.

"I just don't understand what happened that set this whole thing in motion. You argued, yes, but you always managed a way to show her that, whatever happened, in the end you would always be the leader and the one who always got the final word. And she just had to accept it."

Jack sighed as he started the car.

"I think I got tired of fighting." He eyed her and chuckled before turning his attention back to the road in front of him. "And you know plain well what made all this happen to begin with."

Toshiko looked at her hand currently sitting in her lap.

"We don't have to talk about it..."

"I made a mistake. I did it even though I already knew what the consequences would be. The blame is on me," he replied honestly.

"You know what they say: it takes two to tango."

"Not in this case. Not when I was the only one thinking clearly at the time and still managed to mess it all up. I knew I'd break her. She didn't deserve to get into such a thing," he said as he gripped the steering wheel.

Tosh hesitated for a moment, but then decided to go for it, saying it in a quiet voice.

"Neither did Rhys. He loves her so much and yet..."

Toshiko could see the tension in Jack's body language. She could see his tightened jaw and the way he tried so hard to hide the shame for what he'd done to this wonderful man that wanted nothing more than a girlfriend with a normal job.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"No, no. There's nothing to be sorry about. I like having someone like you around me. In fact, I think I really need someone like you nearby."

He smiled at her, as the tension in his body started to dissipate.

* * *

><p>They got to the University entrance a little earlier than 9 pm. They got out of the car and wrapped themselves in their coats as they leant against the side of the car, waiting for Ianto.<p>

"Now we wait," Jack said as he crossed his arms.

Toshiko smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing," she answered, still smiling.

He turned to her with a frown.

"What's with the smile?"

She chuckled. "You kinda like him."

Jack's eyebrows rose.

"Who? _Him_?" he nodded with his head in the direction of the University's gate.

"Yes, _him_! You should see your smile when you told me he'd agreed to meet me."

Jack frowned. "That's nonsense. He's just another human being." He could see she wasn't buying this. "Really. I just... Empathize. I can't be 100% sure, you know that, but so far he seems like an ordinary guy that messed with the wrong man, back in London."

She shrugged. "If that's what you believe to be the true reason you seem to _empathize_ with him..."

"Of course I do!" Jack answered back, indignantly.

"I'm just glad that you found someone nice who may turn out to be a good friend later. He seems to take your mind out of Gwen and all that stuff."

And again he was tense with a faraway expression on his face, in his mind cursing again for his mistakes. Ones he couldn't go back and change.

"Hey," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

They both turned to look at Ianto, who was approaching them, observing Jack's face carefully.

"Well, hello, young man. Allow me to introduce you Ms. Toshiko Sato. Tosh, this is Ianto Jones."

"Nice to meet you," Ianto said as he shook her hand.

She smiled. "Likewise. It's nice to finally meet the often mentioned Mr. Jones."

Jack sent her a deadly glare while Ianto looked at him with a frown on his face.

"We should get going," Jack said as he turned to get into the car again.

Ianto tugged on his sleeve and Toshiko, seeing this, got into the back of the car, deciding to give them a moment alone.

"Yes?"

Ianto looked somewhat nervous.

"Are... Are you okay?"

Jack frowned.

"Why do you ask?"

Ianto shrugged.

"You had this look on your face. I could sense there was something wrong."

Jack smiled, but Ianto could see it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm gonna be fine. Everyone makes mistakes and I've had my share of those. Sometimes they catch up with me."

Ianto nodded in acknowledgement. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Just keep doing what you've been doing so far. It's been helpful and you didn't even know it."

He quickly got into the car, avoiding any more questions from Ianto.

Once they were all set, Jack drove them to the restaurant.

While Toshiko and Ianto were busy with small talk, talking about likes and dislikes, Jack was silent the whole trip.

Every once in a while Ianto would cast a look at him and wonder what happened to Jack that made him seem like a whole new person.

He also wondered what he meant with what he'd said before getting into the car.

For a moment they were all silent and Tosh observed quietly from her spot in the back how Jack wouldn't tear his eyes from the road while Ianto occasionally looked at him, probably trying to decipher the mystery.

"We're here," Jack finally said as they got to the restaurant.

They asked for a more private table, away from others. Torchwood business was confidential after all, even if this was more of a social than a professional meeting.

"So you're in charge of the computer and other technical stuff?" Ianto asked Tosh as they waited for their orders.

"Yes. I'm the geek in the team."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I'm a bit of a geek too, so I can't really blame you."

They all chuckled.

"Tell me you don't have any problem with a dashing hero like me," Jack chimed in.

Ianto chuckled, happy that the Jack he met was still there. And at the same time wondering why the hell he'd be happy to get the cocky bastard personality back.

"I do, if they're cocky. That totally ruins it for me."

Toshiko laughed at Jack's expression.

"Well, he is dashing. You have to give him that."

Ianto pretended to be deep in thought.

"Yeah. I'll let you win this one, Captain Harkness."

Jack grinned at Ianto.

As their meals arrived and they started eating, they fell into an easy flowing conversation.

They talked a little more about their families, music tastes and favourite books, pets they had had in their childhood and some of the most impressive jobs they had to do, either inside or outside of Torchwood.

Ianto laughed when Tosh mentioned a time Owen – which Ianto came to know as the doctor in this team – had to take care of Myfanwy (a pterodactyl – or pteradon? He would think about it later) and things didn't go too well for him.

"Oh, please! He was stinking for days! He even asked me to run a search on my computers for some alien soap that would take that bad smell away."

"That's something I would've loved to see."

"Yeah, Owen has a strong personality and..." Tosh stopped, musing.

"He acts like a complete bastard that doesn't know when to shut up sometimes," Jack concluded.

"Yeah. That's why we find these situations overly amusing. You should meet him someday."

Ianto suddenly looked at the glass in his right hand.

Tosh frowned and looked at Jack only to see him observing Ianto, before he turned to her, closed his eyes briefly and shook his head slightly. Tosh nodded; afraid she'd done something terribly wrong after everything seemed to be going so well.

She got up, which made both man look up at her. She smiled.

"I'm going to pay the bill, using Jack's money, of course." Jack smiled. "And then I'm going to the ladies room, before we leave."

As soon as she was out of sight, Jack spoke.

"I didn't tell her anything, I promise. We had an agreement and you can believe me when I say I didn't break it."

Ianto sighed, twirling the glass of wine in his hands.

"I know. But I'm feeling pressured. There are so many things in my head now that I don't even know what I should think about first. But I can assure you that meeting the rest of Torchwood Three is not at the top of my priority list."

That gave Jack some hope.

"But it is in your list, right?"

Ianto looked at him with a hopeless expression. "Jack..."

The captain reached out and put his hand on the Welshman's wrist.

"I know. The pressure. Sorry. I guess I just..."

He stopped to think about what he was going to say and decided to keep it to himself. He didn't know what was about this Ianto Jones that made him act like this.

"Jack?"

He looked at Ianto, who had a questioning gaze upon him.

"Yes?"

"What were you saying? You sort of stopped mid-sentence."

Jack removed his hand from Ianto's wrist and cleared his throat.

"Oh, nothing."

Ianto was about to say something else when Tosh appeared and Jack couldn't have been happier she interrupted that conversation before it went somewhere he really didn't want to go.

"Are you ready to go, boys?"

* * *

><p>After taking Toshiko home, Jack drove back to Ianto's flat.<p>

The trip was made in silence, with both men lost in their thoughts.

Once they reached their destination, both of them left the car and walked towards Ianto's flat.

Reaching the door, Ianto unlocked it and turned around to bid Jack goodbye, only to be interrupted even before the words were out of his mouth.

"May I come in for a bit, please?" Jack asked with a pleading look on his face.

Ianto looked down and silently nodded, opening the door further so they could get in.

Jack immediately made his way to Ianto's living room.

Ianto took his time taking his coat off and collecting his thoughts. There were so many things running through his head at that moment that he felt like his head could explode at any given moment now.

He ran his hand through his hair as he summarized some of those events that kept crossing his mind: _Roger's threat, Sarah's curiosity about Ianto's real work, Jack confronting him about Sarah's attempt to hack into their system and then worried about what Roger could do now that he knew where Ianto worked – maybe even where he lived! – , meeting Toshiko, the faraway look on Jack's face, Tosh trying to get him to meet the rest of the Torchwood Three group and now Jack wanting to come in and, what, talk to him?_

'_What does he want now?'_

He took a deep breath and went to the living room to see what Jack wanted.

When he got there, Jack was sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands.

On the small coffee table were two glasses of whisky. One of the glasses was almost empty. Ianto deduced that was Jack's.

"Jack?"

He looked up and smiled, but Ianto could see beneath that masked fake smile.

"Hey. I found this. If you don't mind, I felt like a couple of glasses of this would make me feel somewhat better."

Ianto looked at the second glass and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's for you. It's not my second glass. I was hoping you could accompany me, even if just for a glass," he explained, shrugging.

Ianto sat down beside him and observed him worriedly as Jack took the glass and drank what was left of the liquid in his glass.

"I have to go to work tomorrow, Jack."

"Just one, please? I won't take up a lot of your time, I promise."

The Welshman sighed, clearly defeated.

"Okay, but only one drink. And you have to tell me what's gotten you so secretive today," he said as he took a sip of his glass.

"Secretive? I work for a secret organization; I'd think being secretive is part of the job."

Ianto scoffed. "As if! Everyone around here knows where Torchwood Three is based, even though they really don't know what you do."

Jack frowned. "Really?"

"Yup. If you go outside and start asking around, you'll find that most people think you're just another kind of police whose quarters are based on the Cardiff bay." He laughed at Jack's expression. "Don't worry. They really have no clue about what it is that you really do. You're safe, I guess."

"Thankfully. It's better this way."

The Captain poured more whisky into his glass and drowned it all in one take.

"Wow. Easy there, Captain! What's going on with you?" Ianto asked, concerned.

"I did something I knew was wrong and in no circumstances should I've done it. Yet I let it happen anyway."

"What?" Ianto asked, clearly confused.

Jack stood up and started pacing around Ianto's living room, the young man following his every move with his eyes.

"She didn't deserve this. She thought she wanted this but, in reality, she could never handle it. And she's happy with him. God, he doesn't even know what was going on back then." He looked at Ianto. "But I stopped now. I found a way to stop it from happening. In fact, I really don't want it to happen again. Ever. Not only for them but for me as well. You sort of got my head out of it. I..."

Ianto closed his eyes, trying to process the information, and stood up.

"Jack, stop, please. You're not making any sense and you're just making me feel dizzy with your walking around non-stop. Who is she? And him? And what was it that stopped happening?"

Jack stopped and looked at him.

"I... She's someone from my team."

"Uh... Gwen, was it?"

"Yes."

Ianto yawned. "I'm getting a bit tired. What does Gwen have to do with this?"

Jack gulped. "You should probably rest. I'll let you be."

"But you didn't tell me what happened!" he argued, yawning again.

The older man looked sadly at him.

"We'll talk about it later. You should really rest now and I should go back to the Hub."

He went to the door and Ianto saw him stop as he reached for it, looking at the floor.

"Jack?"

Ianto saw him take a deep breath, turn around and make his way back to him.

Before he could say anything else, Jack put his hand on the back of Ianto's neck and kissed him softly.

And Ianto let him because, truth be told, he was too shocked to react in any other way.

"I'm sorry. It's for the best," Jack said as he broke the kiss and then hurriedly left.

Ianto felt even dizzier and more confused than before, so he decided to lie down on the couch.

Before he closed his eyes and before he could fall into a deep sleep, he could swear he could see the remains of something dissolving in his drink.

'_Damn.'_


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** *hides in shame* So, uh, this took quite a lot longer than I first expected. I must say I'm really sorry because I totally forgot I left you with a cliffhanger. =/ Well, can't do anything about it now, I guess. Here's the next bit. I hope you'll forgive me! As always, leave me a review letting me know what you're thinking!

* * *

><p>"You did what? Wait, don't answer that. I think I heard it right the first time around. The question is: why are you telling <em>me <em>this? _Me _of all the people in this damned team?" Owen asked.

"Because you're the only one around here right now," Jack answered.

"I can't believe this. And you actually thought it'd be a good idea to share the wonderful news that you kissed a guy last night with me? I don't care, Harkness!" He yelled and started to look around the empty Hub. "Where is Tosh, anyway?"

"I told her she could come in a couple of hours later today."

Owen's eyebrows rose at that statement.

"Oh, so now I'll have to put up with you and your problems and adventures and all that? No way! We're not bff's, Jack. Go to your office and call her or just wait until she gets here to share the news with her. Do whatever you see fit, but, please, for the love of all things Holy, let me work in peace," he said, making his way to the autopsy room. "It's bad enough having to be here alone with you. I can't listen to you at the same time."

Jack chuckled and shook his head as Gwen entered the Hub.

"Oh thank God! See, you have someone to talk to now!" Owen yelled as he heard the alarms, signalling that someone just entered.

"Someone to talk?" she asked, confused.

"Never mind that. He's just messing with me. Are you feeling better today? Calmer?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm calmer. So how was the dinner yesterday?"

Jack smiled. "I think Tosh made a great impression!"

Gwen smiled too. "Good! I'm happy for her. So who is the mystery person?"

"Ianto Jones. He works at the University library. He's a nice guy. I wouldn't introduce her to some assassin or something."

"I can never know for sure if you're going to come up with a nice friend who is actually an alien." She chuckled.

"No, this one is a human. Very human."

She frowned. "Please, don't tell me you..."

"Oh, no! No. He has not been corrupted by me, as Owen would put it. I don't think he goes that way, anyway. Also, his girlfriend died not long ago."

Her expression saddened. "Oh. I'm sorry. Poor man. Will we ever meet him?"

The Captain wondered for a moment and then shrugged.

"Who knows? Although, I don't think meeting the rest of you is at the top of his "to do" list."

Gwen nodded. "Okay. Now, I wanted to show you something from last night's rift activity, see if it's important to check it out."

Jack clapped his hands. "Let's see it, then."

* * *

><p>Ianto opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was a bottle of whisky and two glasses – one empty and one with some whisky in it – on the coffee table. He frowned.<p>

He got up and took the glasses to the kitchen sink. Looking at the clock on the wall he felt somewhat panicked. It was almost 2 pm and he was still at home. He was just glad he didn't have classes that day, but he still needed to go to work.

Putting the whisky bottle back in its place, he decided to take a quick shower and put some clothes on to go to work.

He'd worry about the whisky and the glasses later.

* * *

><p>Tosh arrived at the Hub and turned on her computers, asking Gwen if there was something going on and if there was any rift alert while she was at home.<p>

"Not really," she'd said. "There were a few spikes, but nothing major. I showed them to Jack, but he said it wasn't worth checking it. Just normal rift activity."

She started walking away, as Tosh went back to the computers. Gwen stopped and turned around.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Jack wanted to talk to you. I think he's in the vaults." Tosh frowned and Gwen held up her hands. "Don't look at me like that. I had nothing to do with it. I don't know what happened and he won't talk to me."

"Okay. I'll go see what's up with him."

* * *

><p>She found him looking at a weevil with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He seemed to be aware of her presence, because he took a deep breath before speaking.<p>

"I almost did it, Tosh."

"What did you almost do?"

"I almost used retcon on him."

She frowned. "What?"

"I thought about using it. I even got the perfect opportunity to sip it in his drink, but then I thought that he'd be at a disadvantage and would end up getting killed more easily. Roger is still after him and we don't know what he wants to do or when."

"Oh. So you changed your mind and didn't put anything in his drink?"

He shook his head. "I dissolved a tranquilizer in it. He really needed to rest his mind after all that's happened later."

"Yeah, this whole thing with Roger must've gotten him really stressed out..."

"I kissed him," Jack said out of the blue.

Tosh froze with her eyebrows raised.

"Last night, before I left him, I just... I felt this strong urge to kiss him and I just had to do it."

She smiled at him. "He's totally getting to you."

His expression darkened.

"That's part of the reason that made me want to retcon him."

The smile fell from Toshiko's face.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"I think that life is short..." He chuckled and she continued. "Well, maybe not for you, but for the rest of us, it is. And even though I can't really say I know what it is like, I think I understand your fear of getting close to people when you know they'll die and you'll still be around, but I think you should make the most of your friends' lives while they're still sharing the air you breathe."

He leant against the wall, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

"It's not all that easy."

"It's also not as bad as you paint it. You shouldn't look at it only in that way. Embrace what you have now and don't dwell on the past," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head.

"It's not that I don't agree with the _'live the moment at its fullest' _kind of thing, but the moment for me is gone rather quickly and every single time someone in my life leaves me with my curse, I'm left with an enormous empty hole and a dark cloud settles over my heart. At first I thought it'd only get easier as I got used to the fact that I'll live forever so I'll always watch them die and then life continues," he let out a humourless laugh, "but it really doesn't. Because everyone has their special little space in my heart and I can't help but feel it die, little by little, as their owners die as well."

Toshiko's features saddened.

"I'm sorry, Jack, that I can't make it go away and I'm sorry I'll make it even more difficult when my time comes to leave you. But what I'm trying to tell you is that, even if you don't want them to, some people will still find a way to your heart and you won't be able to stop it."

Jack sighed.

"Well. Enough of this conversation. I don't even know if he's interested."

He shrugged and Toshiko frowned.

"Didn't you say you kissed?"

"_I_ kissed _him_. And then I left. I didn't really give him much time to react in any way."

She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"What?" He asked and she looked at him, still shaking her head. "He said he'd punch me in the face if I were to kiss him!"

"You really are a fool, then. This may have been your first and last opportunity and you wasted it because you were afraid he would punch you afterwards? Seriously, Jack, who are you? Some weird person took control over your body and is making you act off."

He pushed her hands away from his head, where she'd been tapping against.

"What was I supposed to do? I acted on instinct and only when I realised what I was doing, did I stop to think about the consequences and the fact that he didn't really want that."

Her eyes widened with surprise. She blinked a few times before she spoke again.

"He really is something special."

She clapped him on his back and moved to leave, pausing at the door.

"Don't let this one get away. You won't find another like him."

When he turned to question her, she had already left.

* * *

><p>Ianto was finishing some paperwork regarding some books that had arrived to the library when a shadow stood blocking the light.<p>

He looked up and frowned.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked through gritted teeth, making a couple of girls in the nearest table raise their heads to look at the exchange with interest.

Jack just grinned in response.

"I came here to see you, of course."

Ianto smiled briefly at the girls that were clearly eavesdropping as he stood up and grabbed Jack's sleeve.

"Come with me, please."

He led them to the little room where they kept the books that had arrived, waiting to be catalogued, letting the door slightly ajar.

"Why did you come here?" he asked, clearly not amused with the situation, whispering so the people in the library wouldn't hear them.

"Well, a friend of mine reflected on my actions from yesterday and she made me realise I did something wrong. So I came here to fix that and test a theory, basically."

Ianto looked confused.

"Your actions? What did you do?" he asked, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Jack frowned.

"You don't remember?"

Ianto frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. "What am I supposed to remember, Jack?"

Jack's smile widened in response.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that this actually helps the theory."

Ianto was about to question that when he was interrupted by Jack's lips on his before he could say a single word.

This time Jack didn't waste his opportunity and he fought back a grin when, after a long moment of being frozen to the spot, Ianto kissed him back.

Jack's arms found their way to Ianto's waist and in turn Ianto wrapped his around Jack's neck as the kiss deepened.

He let his hands explore inside Ianto's coat, feeling the warmth radiating from the red shirt he was wearing, as Ianto's hands were running through his hair while they kissed passionately.

The time came when they had to pull away to breathe and Jack couldn't help but grin at Ianto as they parted and their hands left each other's bodies.

Ianto took a step back and briefly smiled at Jack, before he punched his jaw.

The force of the blow made Jack stagger back and collide with the boxes containing the books. Ianto was pretty sure the whole library heard it.

Opening the door, he saw half of the people in the library looking at him, with frowns on their faces.

"Sorry about that. A box full of books fell to the ground."

It seemed to be a good reason for everyone to get back to what they were doing. Well, everyone except the two girls who had seen him enter the room with Jack.

He frowned and closed the door behind him this time.

"What was that for?" Jack asked, rubbing his jaw and stepping closer to Ianto.

"I did warn you that I would take these measures if you were to do what you just did."

"You sure didn't complain last night..."

Ianto frowned. "Last ni..." and then it clicked.

He moved to attack Jack again, but the older man was quick enough to grab his wrists and restrain them behind Ianto before he could try to punch him again.

He tried to break free from Jack's hold unsuccessfully.

Jack could see anger and frustration in Ianto's eyes.

"You bastard!"

"Now, no need for name calling. We're both adults. We can just discuss the fact that, even though you're evidently attracted to me, you want to play hard to get," Jack said, smiling.

"Ugh. I hate you so much right now."

"And yet the kiss was so real. Let me know when you want to try it again. You are a very good kisser and I wouldn't mind a repeat."

As he said this, he felt Ianto's leg tense and he knew what was going to be his next move, so he moved his leg to protect himself from Ianto's knee hitting his groin again.

Ianto cursed and Jack chuckled.

"Fooled me once, won't fool me twice."

"Ianto?"

Both their heads snapped towards the door, so quick they ended up bumping heads with each other.

Jack let go of Ianto and, once free, he rubbed his forehead.

"Ianto, are you back there?"

He threw a deadly look at the Captain before exiting the room.

"I'm here, sir. Do you need my help?"

"Oh, you're there!"

The director turned around and looked at Ianto from head to toe and his eyebrows rose.

"Uh… Ianto…" He started, pointing at Ianto's torso.

Ianto looked down to see his shirt un-tucked.

There were giggling sounds coming from the two girls on the first table. Ianto looked at them as they picked up their things and left the library, still giggling.

He rolled his eyes and tucked his shirt to make himself look presentable.

"Sorry about that. It probably happened while I was arranging the books in their boxes back there."

The young man heard a chuckling sound coming from the room he had just left and was glad the director didn't seem to hear it.

"What can I help you with, sir?"

"I wanted one of those fine coffees of yours."

"Sure, sir."

They made their way towards the coffee machine. There was a loud clashing sound coming from the storage room that made Ianto and the director turn to look in that direction, cringing at the sound that disturbed the silent library.

"What was that?"

"Probably just a few misplaced books." He turned to the director. "Do you mind if I go back for a minute or two?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I'll wait by the coffee machine," the director said, smiling sincerely.

Ianto walked back into the room, sighing angrily, and saw Jack picking up the books that had fallen.

"At least you're cleaning after your mess."

Jack stood up and smiled at him.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "You need to leave."

"What, now? Okay, then. I mean, it won't look suspicious at all to your director after he's seen the state your clothes were in. Bringing someone to your work place, kissing them and then hide them in a room is clearly the way to get your first employee of the month."

Jack moved past him towards the door when Ianto, thinking twice about all this, rolled his eyes and grabbed his arm, bringing him back to his side.

The older man raised his eyebrow. "Now you want me to stay? I'm confused, dear Ianto."

"You said so yourself. Leaving now wouldn't be a good idea. You're gonna have to wait a little longer and then you really need to leave."

"You don't want them to catch us, then."

Ianto frowned and let go of Jack's arm.

"Don't be ridiculous! There's nothing to catch here."

Jack smirked.

"Really? Then I don't see why I can't leave now…"

Jack made for the door once more and Ianto grabbed his arm again.

"Okay, okay," he said, admitting defeat. "But only because they'll get the wrong idea about what happened here."

The Captain tilted his head and smiled dangerously. "Will they?"

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed. "Whatever. Just don't leave here until I say so, okay?"

He made to leave then but Jack grabbed his waist and pulled him back to him before he could set his feet outside the room.

"I need to go back, Jack. My boss is waiting."

"I'll let you go in a moment. Let me savour this precious moment," he said, hugging Ianto's body to his. "Besides, I think it's only fair that if I do something you ask me, you have to do something I ask," he whispered in his ear.

Ianto closed his eyes and groaned, part of him secretly enjoying this little moment, another part of him tired of Jack's advances when he'd made it clear he didn't want anything to do with him.

"What do you want, Jack? Because what happened here won't happen again and I assure you I will not go any further on this."

"No, no. Not that."

Jack turned Ianto in his embrace so he could look at the young man's face. He caressed his cheek making him open his eyes and look questioningly into Jack's eyes.

"I want to have dinner with you. Just the two of us," Jack concluded.

Ianto looked down at his hands, now resting upon Jack's chest and smirked. He shook his head as he looked up at the other man.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Captain Jack Harkness?"

"Perhaps I am. But don't worry, I'll go slowly. No pressure."

"And what makes you think I'm even remotely interested?"

Jack was about to answer the question when a voice coming from outside the room broke their moment.

"Ianto, is everything okay in there?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be right there in a second," he yelled at the door.

"That's the director. I have to go."

Jack grabbed his hand.

"Okay. We'll have dinner," the young man said, answering the captain's unspoken question, watching him grin shamelessly as he left the room once again.

"Sorry, sir."

He turned on the coffee machine to attend to his boss' request.

"No problem, really. But you're sure everything's right back there, yes? Because it'd be a shame if right after you've gotten your contract signed you'd start behaving like a bad employee," he joked, but Ianto was able to sense a bit of seriousness behind those words.

"Don't worry. I take good care of the library and its books on my shift."

"I would expect nothing else from you, Ianto."

Ianto handed him the cup of coffee. "There you go, sir. Will that be all?"

"Yes. Thank you, Ianto. I'll let you get back to work now."

"Let me know if you need anything else, sir."

He walked away, only hearing a happy and satisfied hum as a response, making him chuckle lightly.

Going back into the room he'd left Jack, he didn't see him, but he could feel his presence.

"Jack?"

"In here."

He turned to see Jack sitting in a dark corner of the room, just behind the door.

"What are you doing there?"

"I was waiting. Trying to see what your reaction would be if I were to leave instead of waiting here, like you asked."

"You'd be dead before you got the chance to see the full reaction."

Jack chuckled. "Now, I wouldn't want to be late for our dinner."

"Ugh."

Ianto sighed, but Jack just grinned.

"I'll bring the drinks. You prepare the meal," he said, before leaving with a quick step, leaving Ianto to finish cleaning up the mess in the room.

* * *

><p>He took off his coat as he entered his flat. He turned the lights on and dropped his archiving books on the small table near the entrance to the living room.<p>

His professor was going to put his archiving studies to test by the end of the week, but he wasn't worried about that. He was confident he'd do a good job on those.

But that day had been pretty weird, if he was to describe it. His head was still somewhat wrapped around what had happened with Jack that day. Even more so that he had to prepare dinner for both of them.

Ianto still wasn't exactly sure why he had accepted Jack's request, but maybe it had to do with what Jack had said. He was right. It was only fair he'd do something for him in exchange for his "favour", but he had a feeling this wasn't going to work all that well.

In fact, he was more worried that it'd turn out too well rather than not well at all. He just didn't want to get into an even more complicated situation.

He set up the table in the kitchen after he started working on making dinner. When he was finished setting the glasses on the table, the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to see Jack standing there, dressed in that inseparable coat of his, a huge grin on his mouth and a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Hey."

"Hey, gorgeous."

Ianto rolled his eyes at the comment as he took the wine from Jack's hand, making the older man chuckle.

Jack followed him to the kitchen and looked at the table set for them in there.

"What, no candles?"

Ianto shrugged. "Didn't have enough matches. You see, it was either the food or the scented candles."

"Did I mention that I find your sarcasm quite charming at times?"

"Just sit down and shut up. Don't make me regret this more than I already do."

Jack raised his hands before doing as he was told.

After serving the wine, Ianto sat on the chair opposite to Jack.

Three minutes of silence later and Jack's piercing gaze still on him; Ianto couldn't stand it any longer.

"What now?"

Jack shrugged innocently. "You told me to sit and shut up."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Are you a child? I didn't mean for you to shut up forever, even though sometimes that sounds quite tempting. I don't want to feel like I'm eating alone."

"Okay, then. Just know that you practically told me I could talk as I wish, so don't blame me for future comments," he said as he started picking on his meal, only getting a long sigh as a response.

"Why dinner with me?"

Jack looked at him, slightly taken aback with such sudden question.

"Well, for once you seem way too nice and interesting to be having dinner by yourself. Also," he smiled charmingly, "I am trying on my seduction plan, remember?"

The Welshman chuckled. "I hope patience is part of your qualities or you'll be disappointed."

"No pressure. Just a bit of nagging every once in a while."

"Don't make it too frequent or I'll get tired of it."

"And then you'll fall into my arms," Jack said, matter of factly.

Ianto feigned deep thought.

"No. Probably I'll kick you out of my life to never see you again."

"You wouldn't do that."

Ianto looked Jack in the eye, defying him.

"Try me."

Jack shifted in his chair and decided to change the subject.

"I have a proposition for you."

"I'm not interested," the young man said, before tasting the wine. "I hope this isn't poisoned."

"I wouldn't."

"You already did."

"It wasn't poison. And I'd actually prefer if you could hear me out before making a decision."

"Go on, then," Ianto said, going back to his meal.

"I want you to work for me."

"No. A definite no."

Jack frowned.

"Why not?"

Ianto put his fork down.

"Have you been around and paying attention lately? My life is a chaos. I barely put my feet back on the ground and you're already asking me to jump? No. I prefer to have my feet set on solid ground for once."

"We need someone like you there."

Ianto chuckled darkly. "You didn't need someone like me before you met me. Besides, I don't want anything to do with Torchwood anymore. Didn't you hear me saying it more than once already?"

"And I already told you that my Torchwood is different from the one you used to work for. And we really could use an archivist."

"That's not the reason and I know it, Jack."

Jack pushed his plate away from him and moved closer to the table, closer to Ianto.

"Fine! I could protect you if you were there, with me, instead of walking into a place and being there for 12 hours, where Roger can find you and get to you."

Ianto rose from the table and took his plate to put it in the sink, anger rushing through his veins.

"Jack! I can, I want and I will fight my own battles. I don't want nor need your help with this. I told you already. You barely even know me and you already act like you want to be my new best friend. It doesn't work like this!"

He moved to the large window in his living room.

Moments later Jack entered the room, but still kept his distance.

"Then tell me what I _can_ do. I just can't sit and wait for him to catch you!"

"Why not?" Ianto turned to Jack angrily and he could swear he saw something dark flicker in Jack's eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"Because I won't let him take you away before I get the chance to get to know you! So blame me if I want to be your friend!" Jack yelled back as he walked closer to Ianto.

Ianto looked down and sighed.

"This isn't working," he said quietly.

Jack walked to him, his fingers curling under Ianto's chin to make him look at him.

"We'll make it work."

"How can we-"

Before he could finish, Jack's lips closed on his mouth and he found himself closing his eyes and slowly surrender to it.

A moment later, his brain started to catch up with what was happening and he found himself pushing Jack away.

"Jack..."

"No pressure, I said."

And Ianto found himself being pulled closer and kissed again, but being the rational person that he always was, he pushed at Jack's chest again, keeping him at arm's length.

"Believe me when I say that if I was really pressuring you, you'd be lying back on your bed, at least half naked by now," Jack said, smirking.

Ianto tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow before shaking his head.

"You should go," he said, moving away from Jack's hands as they tried to grab his waist again.

The captain let his hands fall to his sides and nodded, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

"Too much for one day, I get it. I'll go. But remember one thing: I don't give up easily. And that goes for my job offer as it goes for us."

And then Ianto just heard his door close after Jack left.

_'What the hell did just happen? I can't let him manipulate me like this!'_

He sighed deeply as he let himself fall into the couch. Running his hands through his hair, he wondered why, despite always pushing Jack away, he felt his heart skip a beat and his whole body shiver when Jack said he wouldn't give up on _them_.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Sorry it took me a while to get this here, but I'm finally on vacation now, so I hope my life will get a little less hectic and I'll manage to update sooner. =) Thanks to all the reviews, alerts and favorites. I hope you're enjoying this so far! And hopefully you won't hate me by the end of this! *crossing fingers*

* * *

><p>Four days. He'd been wrapped up in this case for four days. He had managed to solve the problem and catch the aliens that were threatening the lives of many innocent human beings. A lot of retcon had to be used and he always hated the cases where he had to resort to such measure in large amounts.<p>

Big cases also meant big piles of paperwork. Instead of enjoying the air outside, like his teammates, Jack had to play his part as a leader and be stuck in his office, taking care of all the red tape. He really hadn't been joking when he told Ianto he needed someone like him in his team.

_Ianto._ He hadn't seen him in the past four days and now it was all the paperwork on his desk that was certainly going to keep him away for at least another day.

Since he thought he was the only one in the Hub at that moment, the sound of the alarms by the cog door going off startled him.

Jack got up to see who decided to come back at – he checked the clock on his desk – one in the morning.

He watched as Gwen stumbled on the steps leading to Tosh's workstation, with a half empty bottle of what Jack could only guess to be an alcoholic beverage.

'_This is not good,' _he thought as he strolled to help her and take the bottle away from her.

"Wow. Hey there. Isn't it too late for a lady to be out on her own and drink this much?"

He placed the bottle on Toshiko's desk, away from Gwen's reach.

She laughed humourlessly.

"Not when her fiancé kicks her out of the house for the night."

'_Trouble with Rhys? Oh boy… Déjà vu much?'_

"Okay, maybe we should prepare the bed downstairs so you can rest. You're in no acceptable state to be walking around."

Jack led them to the Hub's basement.

When they reached the hallway leading to the room where Torchwood agents could rest, should they need to be in the Torchwood Three headquarters for a long time, Gwen started her babbling again.

"He doesn't understand that I really had to skip dinner with him today so I could save those people's lives. He keeps going on about how I always put work before him and how that shows I love my work more than I love him."

She turned around so she could look Jack in the eye.

"But that's not true. I love him. I really do."

"I know you do," he said, trying to comfort her.

"I love him so much. But not in the way I love you."

And then she had her hands on his face and leaning dangerously towards him.

"Gwen…"

"Shh."

She kissed him. He pulled back before she could deepen it.

"Gwen, this isn't right. You're drunk, I am tired…"

"So am I. Tired of pretending there's nothing between us."

"Doesn't mean we have to act on it."

"But we can't let it go to waste either, can we?"

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't deny there was a part of him that agreed with what she had just said, so he decided it was best not to say anything else.

Which led her to think he was actually agreeing with her. She kissed him again and this time, before he knew it, they were already inside the room, with fewer articles of clothing on and making their way towards the bed in the middle of the room before he could mutter a word of protest.

Yet, he didn't object, not even once, when he knew plain well he should have.

* * *

><p>At 4 am, he lay in bed, still not able to fall asleep. He looked up at the clear ceiling of the room.<p>

He could feel the warm body by his side and it only made him feel worse; it made him feel even colder.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

After getting dressed, he covered the naked body lying on his bed and decided to get back to work and worry with everything else later.

* * *

><p>Ianto opened the door to the apartment and picked up the bags with the groceries.<p>

It was almost 4 pm, Sunday. He hadn't seen Jack in five days, not quite believing how much he noticed Jack's absence. Not that he was keeping count or something.

Somehow, it seemed like his days had suddenly gotten calmer. No surprises, no lingering touches. Definitely no fervent kisses, that's for sure.

When he finished putting the stuff away, he sat down on the couch, deciding to catch up on his studies.

Thirty minutes later, he heard the elevator stop on his floor, which was weird since the flat across from his was currently vacant and he wasn't waiting for someone to come by his flat.

He decided to dismiss it and get back to his book.

Moments later he heard a thud that sounded like a really big splash just outside the door to his flat. Not an extremely loud noise, but loud enough for him to be curious and somewhat apprehensive about it.

He put the book down on the small table in front of him and got up, slowly making his way to the front door, his hesitant steps marking the uncertainty he felt about all of it. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought this could probably be Roger's doing, a trap of some sort.

Placing his hand on the door handle, he looked through the peephole, but didn't see a thing. Frowning, he took a deep breath before opening the door slowly.

As he opened the door and looked to the ground, his mouth opened and he froze momentarily, taking in the scene before him.

A soaked body sat there, back against the wall, shivering nonstop.

He quickly fell to his knees beside Jack, worry taking over him for he'd never seen the Captain like that.

"Jack?"

But he didn't get an answer in return. Instead, the older man's gaze was still directed to the wall in front of him.

Ianto tried again, this time turning Jack's face towards him to get his full attention.

"Jack? What happened to you? You're shivering and you're all wet and cold as ice. You're scaring me."

Finally, this seemed to get a reaction out of Jack, because his hands came up to grip Ianto's arms.

Ianto felt even more frightened at that, but if Jack were to try to harm him at that precise moment, he wouldn't have succeeded due to the catatonic state he seemed to be in.

He slowly got up and urged Jack to do the same.

"Come on. We need to get you some dry clothes."

He dragged him inside and closed the door behind them.

After getting him a shirt of his and a pair of trousers, he helped remove Jack's coat, as the man's mind seemed to be somewhere else.

He took the coat and hung it in the bathroom, near the heater so it could dry quicker. When he got back to the living room, Jack was already wearing the dry clothes Ianto had provided him with earlier, his arms around himself, still shivering like an earthquake.

Ianto picked up the rest of Jack's clothes and took them to the same place as he'd previous left his greatcoat.

He grabbed Jack's shoulders and attempted to move him to lie down in his bed for a while. He looked extremely tired.

"Let's get you laid down, okay?"

After a couple of steps, Jack fell into him.

"Okay. The couch is fine, really," he said, as he moved Jack to the couch instead.

He dropped Jack onto his sofa and he immediately curled up to get himself warmer. Ianto observed for a moment, before sighing.

"Just… Just move," he said as he moved to lie down next to Jack.

As soon as he made himself comfortable on the couch, he felt Jack shaking and hesitantly get close to him in hopes to get warmer.

Ianto couldn't help but feel worried about the man lying in his arms. He hadn't said a word since Ianto opened the door. He had been soaked to his bones and it seemed like he wasn't even aware of it. And the fact that troubled his mind the most was that it hadn't rained in the previous two days and not even a drop of water had fallen during that particular day.

The young man frowned as he rubbed Jack's back in a poor attempt to produce heat. Eventually, they both fell asleep.

* * *

><p>At 3 in the morning, Ianto woke up. He was lying on his couch with a blanket over him. Jack was gone, but Ianto wasn't surprised by that revelation. He was half expecting it to happen, really, even though he would have preferred him to stay. He still had a lot of questions to ask him.<p>

Since he still had to get up early that morning, he decided to get up and move to his bedroom, into his bed and continue sleeping, barely noticing his clothes in a chair nearby. The same clothes he'd lent Jack.

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

Jack looked up from his desk and smiled slightly.

"Hey."

"You've been unusually quiet lately. Should I be worried?" Toshiko asked, as she sat on one of the chairs in his office, facing him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Things are really messed up."

"What's wrong?" she asked, obviously concerned, as she moved closer to his desk.

"I can't really explain it. I can't find a suitable reason and that's what's driving me mad. It's been the cases, Gwen, Torchwood..."

"Ianto," she added.

He nodded. "Yes. Ianto, too. But you want to know what happened? I found myself near the bay, yesterday. Next thing I know, I'm waking up inside the water, after drowning myself."

She gasped and straightened on the chair. "Oh, Jack! How did that happen? Why didn't you call me or something? We could've talked about whatever was bothering you. I worry so much at times. I know you're the immortal one, but it still hurts every time something like this happens to you."

The captain shook his head and continued.

"And I slept with Gwen again after I had promised myself, more for her sake and Rhys' than mine, that I would never do it again." He sighed. "I probably scared Ianto as well. I hadn't seen him in 4 or 5 days and when I got out of the water, the first thing I thought was how much I wanted to see him. When I got there, I couldn't bring myself to talk. I have no idea for how long I had my vocal cords surrounded by salty water. I think you can imagine the damage."

Tosh sighed and looked at the hands on her lap.

"Poor man. He's probably worried and confused about all of this."

Jack started fidgeting with some papers.

"I can't go see him now. He'll have too many questions I won't be able to answer. He'll start to act distant with me and I don't want that. He's been sincere like no one else in my life has and I don't want to jeopardize that."

Just then, his mobile started ringing. He frowned and looked helplessly at Tosh.

"Is it him? Let me," she said, extending her hand.

He handed her the mobile and watched with interest.

"Hello. Yes, that's me. He left his phone here. Yes. I don't know." She looked at Jack. "What do you mean he was acting weird? Sure, I'll talk to him. I'll let him know. Bye."

"Let me know what?"

She handed him back the mobile.

"He wanted to talk to you, just to make sure you're okay. I think he knows I answered the phone because you didn't want to."

"What makes you say that?"

"He asked me to tell you he called and ask you to see him whenever you can, with no pressure whatsoever."

Jack looked down. "Oh. I can't go there now, though. I think I'm gonna go back to my reports now. Thank you. You can go, Tosh."

"Can I really? You tried to commit suicide less than 24 hours ago. And you succeeded. Ianto's not the only one that's concerned here, you know? I feel almost responsible for not making sure you were alright."

"It wasn't your fault," he interrupts.

"And, look, even Owen seems to observe you carefully from a distance," she said, pointing behind her, with her thumb over her shoulder.

Jack looked in time to see Owen looking at him, before going back to the cold storage, pretending he wasn't even looking at Jack.

"Don't worry. I'll let you know before I do anything stupid, next time. Or I'll tell you how I plan to kill myself."

"You better!" She paused at the doorway. "Although it is interesting that most people don't want to die or the mere thought scares them."

He sighed.

"Most people don't live with the same curse I do."

Toshiko didn't know how to answer that, nor was she sure there was even an adequate answer.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door.<p>

Getting up, he looked through the peephole. Frowning, he opened the door.

"Ianto Jones?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I've got a delivery for you."

The delivery girl handed him a box.

"And if you could sign here, please."

He took the pen and signed the paper.

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

"Thanks."

Getting inside, he closed the door behind him. He put the small box on the table in the living room. Ianto eyed it carefully, looking for some trap. Seeing none, he decided to carefully open the box.

There was a letter inside. He picked it up, not even paying attention to what was under it.

He felt a chill run down his spine.

_'Ianto Jones,_

_You might want to know how things are going with who was supposed to be a part of the family, if you hadn't killed her, that is._

_Well, I'll let you know that everything is fine and I'm preparing for our last meeting. I still need to take care of a few things, but, don't worry, I'll end with both our suffering soon._

_You shall receive another letter before our meeting._

_I got myself a new place. One I know your new friend won't be able to find._

_Oh, speaking of friends, I've met your new friends. Well, I saw them, that is. I took the liberty to take a few shots and send them to you. I hope you'll all like them._

_Sincerely,_

_You know who.'_

Letting the letter drop from his hands as he looked inside the box, he saw the photographs.

The first one was a photo of him, walking into the University, finishing a cup of coffee. The second was a picture of him and Sarah, before they entered the restaurant.

He took in a deep breath as he saw her entering her house in the following two pictures.

There were a lot more of him alone. Going through the photographs, he froze, holding two of them, letting all the others fall to the ground, already forgotten.

The first was a picture of Toshiko, from when he and Jack had taken her home. The other one had Ianto with his hand on Jack's sleeve and he felt is heart tightening slightly at the look they were exchanging. There was something written at the bottom of the photograph.

Taking a closer look, he could read _'turn me'_. He did as it said and felt a shiver run down his spine when he recognized Roger's handwriting.

'_Getting a little __cosy with your new friend? Did you know he was supposed to have killed you? You should be proud for being able to seduce the notorious Captain Jack Harkness away from his duties; for I am pretty sure you were the first to succeed at doing so.'_

In a pure instinct of rage, he ripped that photograph into little pieces. Running his hand through his hair, he decided to get rid of the photos.

He picked them from the floor as well as the torn pieces from before and threw them into the bin.

He cursed loudly in the empty kitchen, upset for allowing all of this to happen. If he wasn't so in love with Lisa, he would have been rational enough to know there wasn't any way to reverse the Cybermen conversion.

Lisa would have died the way she was supposed to and Roger wouldn't be following him right now, seeking revenge for what he supposedly did to his sister.

Ianto sighed.

"What a mess!"

* * *

><p>"Okay. Gwen, you and Tosh take the left. Owen and I take the right. You know what to do. I want them captured, but try not to get any of them killed."<p>

"That one is for you, Owen," Gwen teased.

"What? It was kill or be killed! I had no other option."

"Yes, but let's do our best to not let it happen again," Jack said. "Let's go team!"

They moved as Jack told them to, always carefully observant for any weevil sign along the dark and narrow streets.

"Anything?" Jack asked them, using their coms.

_"Nothing here,"_ Gwen answered.

_"Nothing here either."_

"Keep looking. They have to be here, somewhere."

Moving down the street, a car passed by Jack. He didn't hear the weevil behind him before it was too late.

He felt the jabbing pain as the weevil's teeth tore the skin on his shoulder.

Jack yelled in pain, trying to turn around to subdue the alien behind him.

Owen heard him scream and ran to help him. The weevil quickly ran away as soon as he got closer to Jack.

"Oh, bollocks! Jack!"

The captain winced, his body falling to the concrete of the dark alley, waving his hand at Owen.

"I'll be fine. Find it before it finds someone else."

"Jack..."

"Go! I'll be okay in a second," he assured the doctor. "Be careful."

Owen looked hesitant, before nodding and running after the weevil.

Jack scooted back until his back found the wall. Resting the back of his head against it, the captain sighed and applied pressure to the wound.

He was losing a lot of blood, leading him into thinking that the weevil got his artery. He bit his lip to prevent a small sob from escaping.

He'd be dead soon, he knew it. And then he'd be alright again. But, at that moment, it hurt like hell and Jack just wanted it all to stop. He'd been through this scenario countless times, but it didn't make any new attack any easier or painless.

_"Jack? Are you still there?"_

"Yeah. Sometimes I forget the fact that being able to come back after death doesn't exactly mean it won't hurt while I'm still alive."

_"We caught them. Wait a few minutes so we can get them into the SUV and then we'll come and get you."_

_"Just... Stay strong. We know this isn't easy on you, but you also know there's not much we can do."_

"I know, Tosh. Thanks. I'll be here waiting... and dying."

Jack was feeling lightheaded. It was about to happen. He hoped this time he wouldn't be out for so long.

"Jack?"

Jack looked up upon hearing the familiar voice.

'Damn it! I was so close from getting away with it...'

* * *

><p>Ianto was closing the library's door, his job finished for the day.<p>

It was Friday night and he was thinking of something he could do that night. It was Friday night after all.

He thought about calling Sarah, he even got his cell phone out of his pocket, but then decided against it. She'd been thrown into this and he didn't want to put her into more unnecessary danger.

A few more steps ahead and he heard a whimper coming from a dark alley.

Frowning, he decided to approach carefully. It could be a trap, for all he knew.

Getting closer to the dark figure on the floor, he recognised the long dark coat.

"Jack?"

The whimpering stopped.

"Urgh. Not Jack," he heard Jack's unmistakable voice.

Ianto ran in Jack's direction, falling on his knees beside him.

"Jack, what-"

"It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"You are definitely not fine. You were attacked. We should get you to a hospital."

"I am not going to the hospital!" Jack spat bitterly.

Ianto sat on his heels, suddenly at a loss of words.

Jack sighed.

"Owen, our team doctor, will be here shortly," he said in a calmer tone this time. Still, Ianto just nodded silently.

"I didn't mean to yell, I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me," he pled, his hand searching for Ianto's.

Just as he was about to grab the young man's hand, Owen's voice could be heard as he approached, making Ianto rise to his feet and Jack let his hand fall to his side.

"Jack! We have to get you to the Hub now."

Jack chuckled. "I would've done that by myself if I could at least get off the floor."

"Gwen! Help me take him."

Gwen put Jack's arm over her shoulder and her arm around his waist, as Owen did the same on the other side.

"Do we need to retcon him?" she asked, head tilting towards Ianto.

Jack looked him in the eye and shook his head.

"He's okay. Let's worry about getting me out of here now. We'll discuss everything else later, if you don't mind."

As they left the scene, Ianto just stood there, looking at the large pool of blood in that dark alley.

_'What the hell just happened?'_

He shook his head and quickly made his way back to his flat, trying to forget about Jack's bloodied figure on the cold ground and the colder words that left his mouth upon mentioning the need for a hospital.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Sorry, guys! I just wanted to thank my beta, who hasn't been feeling too well lately and still managed to take some time to take a look at this. Also, this is a bit short and there's a cliffhanger (sorry!), but I'll try and post the next part sometime next week. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>That day had been uneventful. Nothing interesting or bordering on the insane had happened during his classes or his shift in the library.<p>

Passing by the familiar dark alley, Ianto felt a shiver run down his spine. It had been three days since he'd last seen Jack.

He didn't even know if he was okay. Besides, the amount of blood loss could certainly prove otherwise.

He didn't go to the extreme, thinking Jack could very well be dead. Somehow - and he couldn't really say why - he didn't want to think about that possibility.

Getting to the last floor left for his flat, he started reaching for his keys in his coat pocket, still ascending the stairs, not even looking up until he took the keys out of his pocket.

When he looked up, he froze upon seeing Jack leaning against the wall next to his flat door.

As he started walking again and fumbled with the numerous keys until he grabbed the right one to open the door, Jack looked up at him.

Ianto didn't return the gaze and neither spoke.

The younger man opened the door and got inside, leaving it open for the older man to follow him inside.

Jack closed the door behind him and made his way to Ianto's living room.

Ianto had his back to him as he prepared them something to drink.

Offering Jack one of the two whiskey glasses, he sat on the other end of the couch and waited for Jack to break the silence.

Jack took a sip of his beverage and sighed.

"I didn't mean to talk to you like that and I want to make sure you know that."

"I know that, Jack. What I don't know is everything else."

Jack frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Ianto chuckled darkly.

"You know plain well what I mean. How many things have you left unsaid, unfinished or unanswered? I know nothing about you and yet you seem to know all there is to know about me. You claim you want me as a friend, but how can I return the sentiment when I don't even know who you are?"

Jack put his glass on the small table and looked at the Welshman that was now pacing back and forth in the centre of the room.

"I'm trying to protect you. The less you know, the better."

Ianto stopped and turned to face Jack.

"And yet you thought that knowing what your mouth tastes like is a good way to protect me," he said, venom spilling from his words.

"Ianto, you're mixing things."

"I told you already, I don't need your protection. I'll hang out with whoever I want, whenever I want and wherever I want, Jack, so stop blowing hot and cold on me. It's driving me insane!"

"I didn't know you felt this way," Jack said in a soft tone.

"I do. What did you expect? You can't just enter someone's life, turn it upside down and then leave for days without any notice. You can't play with people like that."

"Is this your way of saying that you want me to stay in your life?"

"Jack!" Ianto yelled, frustrated.

"Not the point, I get it. And I'm sorry if I'm being hot and cold with you, but you have been sending some mixed signals my way and I don't really know what's okay and what isn't with you. And _that _is driving _me _insane, because people either like me or they don't. They're not as confusing as you."

"You should be glad for getting a challenge once in a while."

Jack smiled and inched closer to Ianto.

"So that's not a no," he said, trying to reach Ianto's waist.

Ianto pulled away.

"It's not a yes either. It's... different. I don't really know what to do about it."

"At least you're finally being honest with me, giving me a straight answer on this."

"It still doesn't change the fact that I know nothing about you and that's a no deal, no matter what is going on between us," he said, turning to the window and looking down at the dark night and the stars on the sky above.

He heard Jack moving closer but still keeping a safe distance between them.

"I don't do relationships. Something happened a long time ago and now I just can't bring myself to get attached to other people. There's people I like, people I desire, people I find curious. There hasn't been anything more serious than that for a long time." He sighed. "And somehow it's better that way."

Ianto turned to him.

"Then what do you want from me? Am I just another one in your endless list of desired people? I don't do casual. Not after I had Lisa escape through my fingers. I don't think I can have a relationship of any kind with someone if there's not true sentiment."

Jack scratched the back of his head and moved behind Ianto, looking at the sky just like the young man had done not too long before. Keeping his eyes focussed on the stars, he spoke lowly.

"I'm having some problems with casual, meaningless relationships. Gwen... She..."

"Gwen?" Ianto interrupted. "Isn't she from your team?"

"Yes."

"So that's what this is all about?" he asked, in a slightly angry tone.

"What is?" Jack asked, obviously confused.

"You slept with your team and now you feel like using a fresh body, is that it?"

Jack frowned. "What? How dare you? You don't even know me enough to start making any judgment like that."

"And whose fault is that?"

Jack ignored him and continued.

"I did not sleep with my team. I slept with Gwen. And I regret it, because she wants love and a family and I can't give her that."

"And why wouldn't I want something like that?"

Jack's eyebrows rose.

"I never offered anything like that to you."

There was a long silence, a deep moment of tension between them.

"I think you should go."

"I think so, too." Jack made his way to Ianto's flat door. "In fact, I can't remember why I came here in the first place."

Ianto heard a loud bang as Jack slammed the door on his way out. He stood there by the window, not daring to look down and having to face the fact that he was actually on the verge of tears of frustration.

Jack was playing the hot and cold game with him again and he couldn't let that happen.

* * *

><p>"Why?"<p>

"I don't know, okay? He messes with my head so much that I can't help but being defensive," Jack said, pacing in his office and scratching his head.

"And so you push him away? I don't really get it, Jack. One day you want him in on this team, the next you push him away because he's trying to learn something about you?"

"Tosh, he accused me of following him just because I want someone new to warm my bed."

Toshiko shrugged.

"Any other person telling you that and you'd probably smile and ask them to join the team in a fantastic orgy at the Hub, even though you wouldn't have meant it completely. Where is all this coming from?"

"I don't do serious relationships. I can't compromise knowing the fate of said relationship: they die, I stay behind."

"Does he know about _that_?"

Jack shook his head, sitting on his desk chair.

"He doesn't need to. I won't be seeing him again. I just want you to keep an eye on him, in case that guy tries anything."

"Jack..."

"We won't discuss any more about this."

Toshiko nodded silently and turned.

"Oh, Tosh?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"I found these pieces on his carpet. Can you have a look and maybe put it together or try to find out what it was? There seems to be some sort of writing there."

He handed her a little plastic bag containing the small torn pieces of what once was the photograph Ianto held in his hand.

She took it from him. "Of course. I'll let you know."

When she left, he let his elbows rest on the hard surface of the desk and lay his head in his hands. He sighed.

He'd lied to Ianto, of course.

He knew plain well why he'd gone by his flat that night. And even though there wasn't any deep serious feeling in his heart, he knew that if he were to have anything with Ianto, it wouldn't be meaningless because there was a very small little _something_ there.

Actually, it scared him to think that it was somewhat stronger than what he felt for Gwen that kept him doing the same mistake over and over again.

He needed to get away from it before getting so involved there wouldn't be a safe way back. Not without anyone getting hurt.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on his door.<p>

"Who is it?" he asked before opening.

"Toshiko," she answered.

He opened the door and let her inside.

"How's it going?"

"I need to talk to you."

He frowned. "Okay. I see this is serious. What's wrong?"

"Huh... It's Jack."

Ianto shivered slightly but hid it behind a casual shrug.

"I don't know where he is. In fact, things didn't go so well the last time we talked."

She smiled sadly.

"I know and I'm sorry about that. But he's releasing all his frustration on us. Maybe if you could..."

"Talk? I don't think he wants to see me right now and, to be honest, I don't know if I want to see him either."

She nodded and smiled sadly.

"I understand. Maybe you could give him a call when you feel ready? I'll make sure he answers this time."

They laughed.

Ianto sighed, taking a place near the window, like he did a couple of days before with Jack.

"It's all a bit complicated," he started.

"That's what he's been telling me."

He looked up in surprise.

"He's been talking about me with all of you?"

"No. Not all of us. Just me. I think he's getting over the fact that he was sent to kill you but somehow started to like you."

"He sure has a funny way of showing it," he muttered.

"He... Had some problems a long time ago."

"That's what he said."

"He's our leader and he knows better than any of us how dangerous this job can be. He lost so many people in the past that he avoids getting into that kind of relationships with people now."

Ianto shook his head, confused.

"He was the one that told me he wanted us to be friends. I was happy to never hear from Torchwood again, after he figured I wasn't a threat."

"He did. He does want to be friends with you. I think that he started to get a little involved beyond friendship and that's making him second guess his decision."

She paused, gauging Ianto's reaction, but he just sighed and closed his eyes in response.

"That's why I came to talk to you."

"So far you only told me things I already knew."

"Yes, but the point is that he told me a few days ago that you're sending him mixed signals and he doesn't know if he's supposed to leap forward or take a few steps back. I think that's messing with his head. I asked you to call him when you feel ready to tell him if he should advance or retreat. And if the answer is advancing, then you have to convince him you're worth the pain you'll cause him later, once you're gone."

He shook his head and set his jaw.

"I'm really sorry, but you are going to have to deal with him on your own. I won't be following him, begging for him to start being friends with me, when I'm not even sure I want that right now. When I came here, I didn't even want to be involved with Torchwood anymore. Whatever happened since then was totally contrary to my wishes. I now have a chance to fix that and I'm not thinking of throwing it away."

She looked down and swallowed, nodding anyway.

"Okay. It's your choice. We won't bother you again."

He sighed.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

She smiled sadly at him before leaving, leaving Ianto alone with his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Ianto needed to refill his house with some essential things.<p>

He went to the nearest shop with a shopping list, but as he approached one of the rows of food, he felt something poking him on the small of his back and couldn't hold back the continuous shivers that were running down his spine when he felt a warm breath against the back of his neck.

"Well, well, Jones. It seems we finally meet again. Now here's how this is going to work. I have a gun pointed at your back. Can you feel it?" he asked, moving the gun slightly.

Ianto nodded, already feeling the fear and pure adrenaline running through his veins.

"So, if you try anything... I'm sure you can imagine the outcome. Now, we're getting out of here without drawing attention to ourselves, ok?"

Ianto nodded, turning away to get out of the aisle and leave the shop, with Roger right behind him, only a step apart to not seem too suspicious and at the same time maintain a safe distance to prevent Ianto from running away.

Ianto had his right hand in his coat pocket, fumbling with his phone.

He needed to get help. He couldn't call the police, but Torchwood would certainly help. At least that's what Jack had promised.

He tried to remember Jack's number. He started dialling blindly as the numbers would pop up in his mind. Suddenly he couldn't remember any more numbers.

_'Come on! Only 3 more numbers to go. What were the numbers? Damn it!'_

Getting closer to Roger's car, he made Ianto stop to open the door and make him get in. He had to leave his phone alone in his pocket so Roger wouldn't catch up with his plan.

Unfortunately for Ianto, he still couldn't remember the last 3 numbers.

_'Oh, this is just bloody perfect!'_


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: **So this one is a bit longer than usual. Take it as my apology for taking way to long to upload this. I won't promise the next part soon because I'm up to my neck with uni stuff to do, but I promise that I'll try and write whenever I can. I know where I want to take this, I just need to actually sit down and write it up. So fear not, my friends, everything is planned, so here's hoping I'll catch some free time and not writer's block instead!

* * *

><p>"Why did you take us to your old flat, Roger?" Ianto asked as Roger pulled him roughly out of the car, tying his hands behind his back.<p>

"Your new friends know I left this place so they won't think of looking here until it will be too late."

He laughed dark and emotionless, making Ianto shudder as he was pushed onto the stairs.

"Come on. Up you go. Still a long way from the roof."

Ianto froze.

"The roof?"

Roger pushed him again.

"Why? Afraid of heights?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he continued to slowly ascend the stairs.

Reaching the fourth floor, he stopped and Roger grumbled.

"What now?"

"I didn't kill your sister."

Roger pushed him against the wall.

"You didn't have to pull the trigger on her, you left her to die! In my books, that's pretty much the same thing. You could've taken her to the hospital!"

"It wouldn't have made any difference!"

Roger punched him in the face. Ianto took the opportunity to kick him in the legs, making him kneel down in pain.

Ianto ran down the stairs, but with his hands tied behind his back, he ended up losing his balance as soon as he reached the second floor.

When he tried to get up, Roger came up behind him and shoved his face roughly into the cold titled floor. Ianto could feel the blood in his mouth already.

"See what you've done? Now you're gonna have to go all the way up again. Isn't it sad?" He laughed darkly, twisting Ianto's arm, eliciting a pained sound from the Welshman.

Ianto decided he'd better be quiet from that moment on or Roger would end it very quickly.

Reaching the roof, he felt the cold breeze against his face.

Roger grunted and pushed him, making him fall to the ground.

"I did not kill Lisa!"

"Shut up!" Roger shouted while kicking Ianto in the gut.

The young man rolled over in pain.

"Go on and do it. Get it over with, if that's what you want. But the truth is that I didn't take her to the hospital because they wouldn't be able to fix her."

Roger paced in the roof, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Lies! All lies! She got converted because of you. She wasn't supposed to be there at the time. She was supposed to have been with me. But she didn't want to leave you. And now look at what you've done! You should've been there to protect her like you said you would."

Ianto gulped upon seeing Roger quickly approaching him with an enraged expression on his face.

He swallowed the pain and refused to cry out as he hit him repeatedly.

Suddenly he stopped and Ianto looked up to see him frowning.

"I'm not going to kill you right away. I'm gonna make you suffer… slowly. I'm gonna make you feel the pain I've been feeling ever since I came back to find her dead and you gone."

Ianto felt a pang to his heart and sat up.

"Don't you think I'm hurting too? I loved her! We were going to get married! I tried to bring her back but she died before I could try anything!"

Roger knelt down beside Ianto and before he knew what was happening, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He gasped for air, feeling the intense throbbing pain in his gut, looking at Roger's angry eyes.

"Don't you dare say you loved her! If you had loved her that much, you wouldn't have already moved on."

Roger stood up, extracting the knife slowly from Ianto's body, making him yell in pain.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, teeth clenched while watching the blood flowing from his most recent wound and staining his shirt.

The Englishman chuckled darkly.

"I'm talking about your Captain. Who else could it be? Although, I'll have to say I'm surprised. Wouldn't take you for a guy who would take a leap to the other side just like that."

"You're wrong!" Ianto coughed, the pain almost unbearable and getting worse each second that went by.

"Am I?" He asked, sneering, producing a couple of photographs from his pocket and throwing them at his side.

Ianto looked at the pictures, lying on the grey concrete floor and felt something tug at his chest.

"See there?" Roger pointed at the picture on the top, the only one Ianto could see from his place on the floor.

"That only happened once and it didn't mean a thing."

"Once, you say?" he took the photo from underneath the one Ianto was looking at.

"Tell me, Ianto, did you make a habit of kissing random people after leaving my sister, even though it's meaningless?"

"You don't get it. You don't know what happened just by looking at pictures of it."

"Don't I? Don't I, really? Or is it just you, so insecure in your relationship with him that you deny it in front of other people?"

"That's not it. I wouldn't deny such thing, but we're not like that. We kissed, I won't deny that, but we're not in a relationship," he explained.

Roger chuckled, "What, are you going casual now? Or," he looked mischievously at Ianto, "is it a new thing you've got going on?"

Ianto averted his gaze, the pain in his abdomen getting the best of him.

"Aww. How cute! Too bad he's not here to save you this time around. Oh well, we can't have everything now, can we?"

The moment he took a gun from his coat pocket, they heard a noise coming from the stairs. They both looked expectantly at the door, waiting for something to happen.

Jack appeared in the doorway to the roof, pointing his gun at Roger.

"Give me one good reason not to shoot you right now."

Roger, who had his gun trained on Jack the moment he heard noises coming from the stairs to the roof, simply smirked at him.

"Hmm. How about "Because you'll be dead before you do"?"

Ianto closed his eyes momentarily due to the overwhelming pain he felt and only heard two shots being fired, almost at the same time.

He opened his eyes wide warily; afraid of what he would see. He heard Roger curse loudly while holding his left arm.

"This is not over, Jones!"

He left quickly, walking past a lifeless body on the ground.

Ianto took a deep breath and gathered all the strength he could master to move to Jack's side. Turning him over with his shoulder, he saw that the bullet had hit him in the chest.

Letting his head rest against Jack's chest, he hopped to hear a heartbeat in there somewhere, but his hopes were in vain. Jack was already dead.

He felt a deep pang in his heart, even though he couldn't identify a reason for it.

"Oh, Jack. I'm so sorry."

His vision started to get blurry and a few seconds later everything went black and he fell to the cold concrete beneath him, lying on his own trail of blood.

* * *

><p>Ianto opened his eyes, squinting in the bright light to try to figure out where he was.<p>

He tried to get up but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Easy there, mate. You lost a lot of blood."

"Where am I?"

"Torchwood 3," another voice answered.

Ianto frowned upon hearing it. He looked up to see Jack leaning against the railings from the stairs to wherever he was lying.

"What… How? Did I die?"

The man at his side smiled in amusement.

"You did, mate."

"Owen!"

"What? He did die. Twice, to be exact." He looked at Ianto again. "You're still with the living, though."

"Then," he paused, unsure, and pointed at Jack. "How is he here?"

Jack frowned slightly before shrugging.

"I am the leader of this team. Why wouldn't I be here?"

Ianto frowned deep, still trying to understand what was going on.

"He… he killed you!"

Jack stood straight and eyed Ianto with a curious expression.

"Who did?"

"Roger!"

Jack chuckled. "Obviously, he didn't or I wouldn't be here."

Ianto's hands curled into fists as he got up from the table he was lying on, feeling slightly dizzy and wincing from the pain in his belly.

Owen moved quickly to prevent him from ascending the stairs after Jack, holding him back effectively, since Ianto wasn't offering a lot of resistance due to the pain from his wound.

"You got shot, Jack! Right through the chest!"

He felt hot tears start sprinkling in his eyes and cursed himself, angry for getting so emotionally involved with this.

Jack opened his shirt so Ianto could see that there wasn't a single scratch.

"See? It must have been the pain. It messed with your head. I'm fine."

Ianto frowned confusingly at Jack's chest. He shook his head.

"No. No, that's not true. I don't know what you did, but you got shot. He killed you! I felt it, okay? I felt your dead body beneath my face when I tried to find your heartbeat. You didn't even react! You were dead already. So don't you dare say it was just the pain playing tricks with my head!" he yelled at a slightly frozen and shocked Jack.

Owen released Ianto and took a step back. He felt somewhat aside amongst all of it and, as a doctor, he was afraid that Ianto's reactions would worsen the wound he had just taken care of.

"Ianto, you should probably sit down. You'll end up ripping your stitches," he started.

"I don't care! I'm done with all the secrets. I want the truth, for once!" He turned to Jack. "If you can't give me that, I don't know why you even bothered saving me."

Jack's look darkened and his expression turned into a livid one.

He pointed at Ianto. "Don't say that."

The young man shrugged.

"I'm not taking it back. I want answers. And not the "I can't tell you about that" kind of answer."

Jack glanced at Owen, an unvoiced question in his eyes.

Owen shrugged. "Don't know, mate. Up to you."

"Okay."

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed.

"I…" Jack started.

"Jack!" Tosh yelled, running towards them. "You have to see this."

"Jack!" Ianto called after him, making him stop and turn to him.

"We'll talk later. I need to go now."

Ianto turned to Owen with a questioning gaze.

"Don't know a thing, mate. Don't look at me like that, seeking for answers where you know you won't get them," he said, raising his hands and walking to the main Hub.

Ianto looked down and winced. Finally he felt the pain at full force. He decided to lie down again.

'_I really shouldn't have gotten up so soon.'_

* * *

><p>He felt soft caresses on his face as he slowly woke up from the drowsy state he'd been in.<p>

He opened his eyes and saw Jack, sitting beside him on the couch. He had no idea how he'd gotten there, although he was pretty certain he was still at Torchwood, by the looks of his surroundings.

"Hey," Jack said softly, caressing his cheek.

Ianto flinched and moved away from the warm touch. Jack's smile faltered.

"How is it possible?" Ianto asked, certain that Jack would understand what he meant.

Jack shook his head and looked pleadingly at Ianto.

"Can we talk about this some other time and place?"

"Why? You need more time to come up with a more convincing lie than delusion caused by pain, is that it?"

There was a quick flash of hurt in Jack's eyes.

"I won't lie to you. I'll tell you as much as I can about it, just not here and not now. Can we meet at your flat later?"

Ianto considered it for a while before deciding he wasn't going to get a better offer. He nodded and Jack smiled in response.

He got up from his place beside Ianto, suddenly excited, and extended his hand to him.

"Let's present you to the team. They want to know who the guy I brought here is."

"Jack," he tried but Jack had already grabbed his hand, pulling him up and away from the couch.

"Tosh already knows you. You've met Owen. Well, sort of. I'll introduce you to Gwen."

Ianto stopped, making Jack stop as well.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just remembered something."

Jack eyed him warily.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Nor that important either," he assured him, forcing a small smile at Jack while squeezing his hand in reassurance.

Jack didn't look convinced but decided to drop it for now and kept going, pulling Ianto with him.

At the mention of Gwen, something clicked in Ianto's head. What Jack had said about his relationship with her. He also remembered that night he previously didn't know what had happened, afraid that Jack had used retcon on him. He recalled how Jack kept mentioning a _she_ and how she was the reason behind that faraway look on Jack's face when they had had dinner with Tosh. He'd told him that he kept his head away from it all. And then Jack had kissed him, apologised and left.

Jack called his team and broke Ianto's thoughts.

"You know Toshiko already."

"Hi," she said, smiling shyly.

"Hey. How are you?" He asked, smiling at her.

"Lots of work here. I'm fine, though."

"That is Owen Harper."

"_Doctor _Owen Harper," Owen corrected him, nodding in Ianto's direction.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jack mumbled.

"Thank you. For everything you've done," Ianto told him sincerely.

"No problem, mate. Just don't let it happen again."

"Now," Jack grabbed his shoulders and turned him in another woman's direction. "This is Gwen Cooper. Gwen, this is Ianto Jones."

"It's a pleasure," she said, extending her hand.

"Likewise," he said while shaking her hand, noticing – if only barely – the way she looked from him to Jack and then to the captain's hands, that were absently stroking his shoulder blades lightly. He felt her hand faintly tightening the hold on his hand before releasing it.

He turned to see if Jack had noticed any of it, but he seemed oblivious.

"Do you want to have a look around?" Jack asked him.

Ianto turned to see that Jack's team had already moved away, each back to their workstations.

He saw Gwen looking curiously at them but hurriedly turning away as Jack followed Ianto's gaze.

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. Take me on a tour, then," he said, earning him a wide smile from Jack.

* * *

><p>"What's left to see?"<p>

Jack led him to the basement.

"The archives, the cells and my office, but we'll leave that for later," he said wiggling his eyebrows and making Ianto roll his eyes at him.

"The cells… is it where you keep the aliens you catch?"

"Yeah, until we can send them back to where they belong."

Ianto nodded distractedly, noticing a familiar corridor.

"Wait! You don't know where you're going! You'll get lost!" Jack yelled, following a running Ianto.

The young man stopped inside a large room and turned on the lights.

Jack stopped at the door, taking deep breaths. He'd never crossed a corridor like this in the basement of his Torchwood in such little amount of time.

Ianto looked around with a nostalgic look adorning his face.

"This is where I was going to bring Lisa."

He turned briefly to gauge Jack's reaction before turning away from the frown on the other man's face and taking a few steps deeper into the room.

"While working in the archives for Torchwood London, I found some maps for the Torchwood Cardiff's construction. A lot has changed in the main area but down here things seem pretty much intact, just like the maps I found."

"So if she was still alive, you would've gone ahead with your plan."

It wasn't a question but Ianto nodded anyway.

"Yes. I loved her. I would do anything to bring her back, no matter what the consequences would be."

"There's no…"

"I know. She would never be back. It's irreversible."

He turned to look at Jack.

"I know that now, but I was too blind to see it then."

"I'm really sorry you had to go through it," Jack said quietly.

Ianto shrugged.

"It's okay. I think I'm slowly coming to terms with it."

He heard Jack approaching him.

"Do you really think you would've been successful?"

Ianto smiled wickedly, even though Jack couldn't see it.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He felt the other man's arms wrapping themselves around his waist, pulling him closer like they had done in the library, sometime in the past.

"Would you have seduced me to be a part of my team?" Jack whispered the words in his ear, making him shiver.

The smile he felt widening against the skin of his neck let him know Jack was only too aware of the effect he was having on him.

"Maybe."

Jack's hand moved closely to Ianto's now dressed wound, a mix of soreness and pleasure running through his body and eliciting a small gasp from Ianto.

A hand on his wrist stopped Jack's wandering hand.

"Would you have kissed me?"

His back bumped against Jack's form.

"If my curriculum or my friendship weren't enough to set my plan into motion, I would have."

Jack's nose rubbed against the side of his jaw all the way up to his ear, where he whispered once again.

"And would you have gone any further than that?"

Ianto laughed. He knew very well the game the captain was playing. He gave it some thought.

"Well, if you started to get suspicious, I would have to avert your attention somehow. I loved her too much to let you find her and take her away from me all over again."

Jack groaned before turning Ianto around in his arms.

"Now that there's no Lisa in the plan, would you do such a thing?"

He started to lean forward, his hands travelling down Ianto's back until they were stopped.

"Jack."

Jack frowned and took a step away.

"So is it true?"

Ianto looked confused.

"Is what true?"

"Is it true that we will never be in a relationship?"

It took Ianto a moment to place those words, but then he remembered.

"You heard my conversation with Roger," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jack shrugged.

"You were the one who called. And without that call, I'm afraid you wouldn't be here now."

Ianto shuddered at the thought.

"I have to be honest and tell you I wasn't expecting you to come. I got lucky he didn't search for my phone, but I still couldn't remember your number."

Jack smirked.

"What, I don't get to be on speed dial?"

The younger man's eyebrow rose.

"You haven't earned that yet. And the last time we talked, things didn't end all that well. I didn't deem it necessary."

"Yeah, but back to the original question, is it true?"

Ianto sighed.

"Jack, I didn't say that."

"By the tone you used, you weren't that far from actually saying it."

"That's not true! I told him we are not in a relationship and that is the truth."

Jack's expression softened, almost as if unsure of what he was about to ask.

"It's not something that is established, but in the future, do you think this could work, that we could work?"

When Ianto didn't answer nor looked him in the eye, Jack gulped.

"Do you even want to?"

Ianto looked away.

"Jack, I..."

"Jack, are you in here?" Gwen's voice could be heard from the hallway.

Jack glanced at Ianto before leaving the room.

"I'm here. What's up?"

She sighed in relief. Ianto appeared at Jack's side.

"For a moment, I thought you got yourselves lost in here."

"Not yet."

Jack's laugh told Ianto there was most definitely a funny story behind that answer.

"We're just gonna turn the lights off and close the doors and we'll be right up."

She smiled at them.

"Okay, but if I don't see you in 5 minutes up there, I'm sending the dogs."

Gwen laughed and walked away.

Jack went into the room. Before he could turn off the lights, Ianto gripped his wrist.

The older man looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"I don't know what I want anymore, Jack. And that's me being completely honest with you. Things change and we adapt, that's how it works. But you've got to give it time. No good can come out of it if you rush this process."

Jack nodded and he turned to walk out the room.

The lights were turned off and the door locked.

Then Ianto felt himself trapped between the wall and Jack.

"Jack, I want this to be kept between us for now. Please, behave."

He could see the danger in Jack's wide smile.

"One last kiss, then?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and pushed him away.

"I thought you wanted us to be friends. Get it together, Harkness."

Jack laughed and slapped Ianto's ass playfully, before running away, with Ianto already following him.

"Hey! What the hell was that for? You are so on!"

* * *

><p>"Where's Ianto?"<p>

"I think he's with Tosh," Owen answered and pointed ahead, not even looking.

Jack, on the other hand, took his time watching him from head to toe.

"He's mighty fine."

"And I'm out of here before this develops into something for 18 or older," Owen grumbled, leaving Jack's side as quickly as possible.

Ianto turned slightly and saw Jack looking at him. The Captain straightened his posture, making Ianto smile before returning to his conversation with Tosh.

"I thought you said you hadn't corrupted him."

Gwen's voice came from behind him.

"And I haven't."

"Then what's with the lingering looks?"

Jack frowned.

"What lingering looks? He just acknowledged my presence here."

She smirked.

"Yeah, right. You may not have tainted him yet, but that look was a full on invitation for some exploitation later." She turned to him. "Speaking of which, who's gonna take him home?"

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Me. Why?"

Gwen chuckled.

"The perfect night for corruption, then. I take it you'll come in later next morning."

"Gwen, he's not like that. He doesn't like me that way. I told you before, he's not into guys."

She tapped him on the shoulder and turned away.

"He's tricked you well, then."

* * *

><p>They had reached Ianto's door when Ianto turned to Jack.<p>

"Thanks for saving me. I know I didn't always react very well to you and your team, but I'm grateful you helped anyway."

The captain nodded in response.

"I take it I won't get invited in tonight."

Ianto fumbled with the keys nervously.

"I think it's better this way, Jack. A lot happened today and I need some time alone to wrap my head around it all. I still want you to give me a good reason for you dying and somehow being alive now."

"We'll talk about it. I promise. I'll go, then," Jack said awkwardly before descending the stairs, hearing Ianto's door clicking closed behind him.

He was about to open the door to the Torchwood SUV when his mobile rang.

"Harkness."

_"Hey. It's me."_

Jack frowned and looked up at the silhouette in Ianto's window.

"Is there something wrong? Do you want me to go back up?"

_"No, no. As much as I would want you to come back, you can't. I told you already. Not tonight. But... Well, uh..."_

Jack smiled.

"Yes?"

_"I think you can stop by tomorrow after work."_

"You think? I don't want you to do something you don't want to," he said, sniggering into his hand.

_"But I want you to."_

He couldn't stop the small smirk this time and of course Ianto noticed it.

_"You did that on purpose, didn't you? Damn! You know what, I'm thinking of reconsidering it."_

Jack opened his eyes wide at the comment.

"No, no. I want to come by just as much as you want me to. Please, don't punish me over this."

He could almost see the megawatt smile on Ianto's face from the window.

_"This is too easy," _he said and chuckled. _"But please, knock this time. I don't want to come home to find you already inside."_

"I promise to behave this time. See you soon, then?"

_"Yeah. See you tomorrow."_

"Can't wait. Sleep well. And dream about me, of course."

Ianto laughed.

_"Good night, Jack."_

* * *

><p>Jack got back to the Hub.<p>

His mind still wandered with thoughts of Ianto. Sometimes he would get a feeling that he just wanted Jack and his team to leave his life once and for all. Other times he would actually be nice to all of them and really seem like they could all be friends.

And then there was that odd time where Jack would see a little glimpse of another side of Ianto that made him think that they might have a chance on the "something more than friends" department. Like the passionate kiss they had shared in the library that Ianto kept saying was a fake. Jack knew better.

The alarms by the cog door signalled Jack's presence.

Toshiko looked up from her monitors and smiled.

"Hey, Tosh."

"Hi, Jack."

She turned.

"Owen?"

"What now?" an annoyed voice came from the medical bay.

"Jack's here."

They heard some fumbling, some metal clashing and then Owen appeared in the main Hub.

"Good. That means we're out of here," he said, already grabbing his coat.

"What? You were waiting for me to leave?"

Tosh looked down. "Kind of, yeah. We really have to go."

Jack smirked.

"What? Are you guys late for your date?"

Toshiko blushed and Owen sighed deeply.

"Get your mind off of crazy stupid ideas, Harkness," the doctor said, running past Tosh's hurt look and out of the Hub as quickly as possible.

"Sorry."

She smiled sadly.

"Not your problem."

"I did bring it up, though."

She chuckled as she turned off her computers and prepared to leave. She stopped by the door.

"You'll get enough punishment for it, don't worry."

"What's that supposed to mean? The fact that you're leaving me alone in here?"

She walked away, yelling over her shoulder.

"You're not alone. Gwen's still around."

_'Damn it!'_ he thought.

"Jack?"

He turned and smiled crookedly.

"You're going home soon?"

She nodded.

"Yes. I needed to talk to you about something first."

"Okay. I'm all ears."

She looked down and fumbled with her fingers.

"It's about Ianto."

Jack tilted his head to the side and frowned slightly.

She took a deep breath and continued.

"Does he know the reason why you're still here, alive?"

"No, he doesn't. Not yet, that is. Why do you ask?"

She looked up at him.

"I've been thinking. He said he didn't want anything more to do with Torchwood. Don't you think something like that will get him involved with everything that's Torchwood all over again?"

His eyebrows rose.

"Hadn't thought about it, to be honest."

Gwen smiled slightly.

"I get it that you want him to become our friend, but how can he be friends with us and not becoming involved with our business? Sooner or later you'll ask him to join us and he'll probably refuse and you're going to have an argument because of it."

Jack looked away, guiltily.

"You already did, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Jack."

"We did argue because of it, but I didn't let it go to extremes. We're good now, I think. We don't talk about it anymore. But he's waiting on me to tell him the reason why I'm still alive and I think that, by not telling him the true reason, he's just gonna push me away forever. I'm pretty sure he's done with me escaping his questions. He accepted too much already for me to deny him something like this."

Her jaw dropped slightly. She opened her arms and frowned at him.

"Jack, this is something huge! This isn't you showing him a weevil and saying it's an alien. This is you telling him you will never die!"

He walked past her. She turned, but he kept his back to her.

"I'm just trying to maintain a relationship with someone outside of this Hub. I'm doing the same thing you did with Rhys."

He could almost feel her stiffen at that comment.

"Well, not exactly like you and Rhys." He stuttered hurriedly. "You're engaged and that's not what I'm aiming for here. I guess I only want a friend with a normal life outside of this crazy world of aliens and deep dark secrets that come with it."

He felt her hand squeeze his shoulder and turning him around slightly.

"No one ever said it'd be easy. You need to earn someone's friendship; you don't get to impose it. And he needs to understand that there are some things that, for his sake or ours, he shouldn't know. Think about it. But please, don't do anything you're only going to regret later, Jack. You are our leader and you need to be one, even if you don't always agree with some of the things you have to do."

She patted him on the shoulder, pecked his lips lightly and left, leaving a stunned and confused Jack Harkness behind, alone in the big dark Hub.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: **I come bearing gifts! Not really, but I've brought the next part, does that count? Also, if you want to nag me to bring you the next chapter soon, find me on tumblr (there should be a link in my profile, if not, look for wordsputtopaper). This chapter got here a bit later than I first expected because I've been in the process of moving into a new house, so, between all the boxes of stuff and the work I still need to do on assignments and projects for uni, all these aspects of life have taken over most of my time (I reserve my right to sleep and eat on whatever time slots I've got left). But fear not! I haven't given up on this story nor do I intend to. I've got it all planned out, right up 'till the end. I just need to develop the story itself from the bullet points in my notebook. ;) I should probably end my rambling here. I bet you weren't even interested in all that. Read on, fella!

* * *

><p>Ianto Jones put on his coat, grabbed the book that was on his desk and picked the keys to close the library.<p>

On his way home he couldn't stop thinking about the previous day's events. The stitches in his abdomen a very good reminder of what had happened, as well as the excruciating pain he felt every time he tried to reach the upper sections of the library to get a specific book or when trying to organize some of the boxes full of new books back in the storage room.

Reaching his flat, he took his keys out of his pocket and looked around for any sign of Jack.

He shook his head when he didn't see him anywhere and opened the door, peeking inside. Still no sign of him. He frowned and almost jumped out of his skin when there was a knock on the open door behind him.

"Jeez!" he exclaimed, a hand on his chest and looking at a very amused Jack.

"Looking for me?"

He rolled his eyes in response and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, easy there. I'm not here against my will," Jack said, smirking at Ianto.

Ianto made his way to the couch and sat there waiting expectantly for Jack.

The Captain raised his eyebrows at him.

"You know what I'm waiting for," Ianto told him.

Jack grinned.

"If you want a kiss, you can come and get it, no need to ask."

The younger man rolled his eyes.

"That's not what I want from you. I want you to explain what happened after I passed out on that roof."

He sighed deeply and sat down beside Ianto, his arm on the back of the couch, reaching for the man beside him, even if just slightly not to scare him away.

Ianto shrugged unconsciously when Jack's fingertips made contact with the sensitive skin of the back of his neck in a fleeting instant.

"When I came back to myself, you were lying by my side, covered in blood. I called Owen and applied pressure to your wound while I waited for him to come take care of you."

He took a deep breath and Ianto noticed how his expression changed for a moment.

"You died just as he set his foot on the roof. We managed to bring you back, though."

Ianto gulped and nodded, signalling for Jack to continue.

"He said we needed to get you back to the Hub as soon as possible if you were to be alive now. I took you to the back of the SUV and Owen drove us back to the Cardiff Bay. We set you down on the table in the medical bay, where you woke up hours later, and Owen said you had already lost too much blood and he didn't know if he could save you anymore. He went in search for blood – human blood, which is kind of rare at our base, as you might understand – and you died again. I had to kiss you to bring you back this time."

Ianto frowned and Jack noticed it.

"We'll get there later. So Owen finally found some compatible blood and quickly went to treat your wound. A couple of hours later, you finally woke up and the rest of the story you already know."

"But… He killed you, right?"

"Roger? Yeah. Straight to the heart, that bastard."

"Then… How?"

"I can't die. Well, that's not true. I die but I don't stay dead due to something that happened to me a long time ago."

"So you just fall asleep or something?"

Jack looked down and laughed humourlessly.

"I wish it was that simple. No, I don't 'fall asleep'. I actually die. It hurts like hell and then it's all black for a while. How long that while takes usually depends on the kind of death I've suffered. After that, comes a new kind of pain, just as strong, it hits me and then I'm back with the living. It's not like a sweet comfortable sleep, believe me. It feels like being held over broken glass."

Ianto reached for Jack's hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry, Jack. If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't have to go through it."

Jack turned his hand in Ianto's hold and gripped his hand hard.

"If you hadn't, you would be dead now and, contrary to me, you would stay that way. I wouldn't want that alternative."

Ianto looked at their joined hands and blushed heavily.

Jack let go of his hand and Ianto relaxed visibly.

"Gwen didn't want me to tell you that."

Ianto scooted to the back of the couch, next to Jack's fingers that were tapping lightly against the back of the couch.

"Why?"

Jack shrugged.

"She had a valid point, to be honest."

Ianto frowned at Jack.

"So you were considering not telling me the truth?"

The older man nodded guiltily.

"Only for a moment, though. I then remembered what you had said about wanting the truth and I think I can trust you with it."

"How long have you been around?" Ianto asked, suddenly.

"In this planet?"

Ianto looked incredulous.

"_This _planet?"

Jack looked nostalgic. "It's been too long. Many people were lost. I died countless times. Sometimes I wished it would be the last time and that I would stay dead. Some of those losses I suffered hurt more than most of the deaths I went through."

Ianto looked sadly at him.

"I can't do anything about it. I don't really know what to say or what I would do if I were in your position. It must be hard to let yourself get closer to people you know you're going to lose; you're going to see them die and you're going to keep on living."

The Captain got up suddenly and moved to the window. The younger man sighed and followed him, seeing through the reflection provided by the glass of the windows that Jack had tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Oh God, I'm sorry I brought it up. I shouldn't have."

Jack shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"No problem. I'm just not used to people putting all of that into perspective. I mean, I'm used to have a few people – the ones that know about it – talking about how it must be hard to see the people I love die, saying I should make the most of it while they're still alive, but I can't do that when I already know what the outcome is going to be. I find myself leaving them before they realise I'm not ageing when I should be or I cut all relations when I feel I'm getting in too deep." He turned and found the concerned gaze of Ianto. "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how tired I am of it. Flirting is fine, it's all good fun. One night stands? Not really that big of a problem. Love, commitment? Tried that. Never worked out well."

Ianto nodded and hugged Jack, catching him off guard. A few seconds later he hugged him back.

"I understand now why you don't want to commit and have a family. I didn't know. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable with that conversation we had a while back."

He stepped back. "So why didn't Gwen want me to know about it?"

Jack went back to the couch and Ianto decided to prepare them some coffee, making his way to the kitchen.

When he got back to the living room, Jack answered.

"Thanks. Gwen said that you didn't want anything to do with Torchwood anymore and telling you something like this would only do the complete opposite."

Ianto bit his lip thoughtfully.

"It's not like I've accepted a job at Torchwood. I asked you a personal question, nothing more. I have to do that once in a while in order to get to know you well enough to consider you my friend, right?"

"Yeah. I answered. Does that mean I get to ask you a question in return?"

Ianto put the empty coffee cup on the small table and looked over his shoulder at Jack.

"You can ask. I'll decide if I want to answer."

Jack put his cup down next to Ianto's.

"Oh, come on. How's that fair?"

"It's fair when the person asking the question is a certain Captain Jack Harkness."

Jack leaned his elbow against the back of the couch and put his head in his hand, looking at Ianto.

"Do you think about her often?"

"Every day."

Jack nodded.

"I'm sorry you didn't get your happy ever after with her."

"Me too. The saddest part is that Roger is right. If it wasn't for me, she'd still be alive."

Jack frowned.

"What? It was the Cybermen's fault, not yours."

A silence fell between them.

A few moments later, Ianto looked at Jack, only to see him smile wickedly.

"What?"

"Can I ask another question?"

Ianto frowned.

"Your facial expression is yelling at me to say no to that."

Jack ignored him and asked anyway.

"What do you prefer: top or bottom?"

Jack's response came in the form of a pillow hitting his face.

* * *

><p>His phone rang.<p>

"Hello?"

_"Roger! Thank God. Where the hell have you been? You disappeared over a week now and you didn't tell me a thing. I tried to call you, but you never answered! I was so worried, you have no idea. Are you okay?"_

He chuckled. "Wow. Slow down Michelle. I'm sorry I didn't answer before, but I was really busy with something."

She paused.

_"Are you... On a mission or something? I didn't want to interrupt..."_

"On a mission? Yeah, kind of. I found him, Michelle."

_"Found who?"_ came her confused voice from the other side of the line.

"Ianto Jones. That bastard. It's his fault that my sister is dead now."

_"Wasn't your sister converted? That would make it their fault, not his."_

He yelled at the phone.

"I know that, alright? But it's his fault she was there in the first place. He could've saved her! Hell, he could've taken her place!"

_"So what did you do when you found him?"_

"I kicked him and then I stabbed him," he said emotionless.

She gasped.

_"Did you kill him?"_

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see it.

"When I left, he was still alive. I killed Torchwood Cardiff's leader, though."

_"What? Are you crazy? They're gonna come after you!"_

"I don't care what they do, so long as I get my revenge."

He heard her sigh.

_"Give me a moment to process all of this."_

He waited, looking around his bedroom, deciding to sit down on the bed for now.

_"Okay. Tell me where you are and I'll help you with whatever you need."_

"Michelle, I don't want you to get involved."

_"You should've thought about that before you asked me to find you a certain Ianto Jones."_

"Michelle, that-"

_"Roger, stop with your bloody excuses and tell me where you are or I'll find you even if I have to search the whole city."_

He sighed, defeated.

"Okay, but you'll be careful and do as I say. I can't afford to lose anyone else."

_"Deal."_

* * *

><p>The cog door opened and the voices of the Torchwood team's member echoed all around the Hub.<p>

"It was entirely your fault."

"How was it my fault, Miss "I know what I'm doing. Oops! Guess I really don't"?"

"Owen, don't start," Gwen warned.

"What, you're going to shoot me again?"

Toshiko waked quickly between them, elbowing them on the way. They went their separate ways.

Jack rubbed his forehead and walked directly into his office, not bothering with them anymore.

He sat by his desk and picked his mobile. Dialling a number, he waited.

_"What happened now?"_

"Hi! Just wanted to know how you're doing."

A sigh. _"You just wanted to know how I was doing two hours ago, Jack. I may need to breathe without you knowing about it. You don't need to call every two hours."_

"I do not call every two hours!" he exclaimed in indignation.

_"Really? What time is it?"_

"Almost 8:30."

_"And what time was it the last time you called?"_

Jack thought about it.

"Okay. You've made your point."

He lowered his voice. "I was worried."

_"Jack, you can be worried and call just once a day, at the most."_

"Sorry," he whispered into the mobile.

Another sigh.

_"No, it's okay. Try to call less, though. What kind of example am I, working in a library, attending to personal calls every couple of hours?"_

Jack scratched the side of his neck.

"Didn't think about that, to be honest."

_"When do you ever think about such things?"_

"I usually have people to think about that for me. Which is why-"

_"Which is why this conversation will stop now before we get into another argument. I have work to do and so have you, I bet."_

Jack sighed knowing he would never win that argument.

"You'll be leaving work soon. Can I meet you once I'm done with things here?"

_"Yeah, right. Like saying no would prevent you from standing at my door later…"_

Jack could almost bet there was some extreme eye rolling session on the other side of the line.

"I just want to make sure you are okay. I still think you should take a couple of days off."

_"Jack, I'm fine. You just want an excuse to come over. I have to go now. Bye."_

"We'll talk later!"

He hung up and sighed. He didn't stop the smile growing on his face and went back to work.

* * *

><p>"Look at him."<p>

Toshiko looked up from the screen in front of her and averted her gaze in the direction of Jack's office.

"I'm looking. What's up?"

Gwen turned to her and frowned.

"What's up? Don't you see it?"

"See what? That he's working? Yeah, I can see it."

Gwen shook his head.

"Not that. Look at him, for real this time. Look at his face, his smile. He's glowing."

Toshiko looked closely and smiled, before turning back to her computer.

"I bet this has to do with that Ianto character."

"He is a nice person. We went to dinner together, as you probably remember, and he's really easy to get along with."

Gwen scoffed. "I bet Jack's trying to get into his pants."

Toshiko frowned at Gwen.

"Maybe he really wants a friend now."

The other woman pointed at Jack.

"With that smile? I bet he wants this friend under his covers."

"Gwen, Jack doesn't belong here. Sometimes he acts like a kid in this century. This is a good example of that. He got himself a friend and is so happy about it that he looks like a kid after getting into school and finding his first best friend. Let him be. It's not always that we get to see this side of him."

Gwen shrugged.

"I still think this is gonna get complicated in the future."

"Not if we don't mess with it."

Toshiko's warning was implicit.

The Welsh woman turned and walked back to her station, finishing her work. A few minutes later, she got up.

"I think I'm going home now."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"See ya, Tosh!"

* * *

><p>It was almost 9:30 pm when Toshiko left her workstation and walked to the Captain's office.<p>

"Jack."

He looked up from the paperwork he was finishing.

"I'm going home now. If you need anything else, let me know."

He nodded.

"Good night."

She was about to leave when he called her. She turned and walked back into his office.

"Yes?"

"Is she right? Am I glowing?"

Toshiko chuckled.

"Well, is she right that you only want to get into his pants?"

Jack thought about it for a moment.

"I think she was kind of right when she said something about me wanting a friend under the covers. I want to be his friend, for real. It's not some scheme to get him to submit to my wishes."

Tosh nodded. "Good. I wouldn't want you to use him. He's too nice of a person for you to do that to him. Especially after what happened to him and Lisa."

Jack gulped and put the pen down.

"I like him. You know, as a person. If he doesn't want anything to do with me aside from a friendship, I'll accept it. I'll be disappointed, of course. But I wouldn't push him into something he doesn't want to."

"I know, Jack. Don't listen to Gwen, she's…" She stopped and looked away.

"Jealous?" Jack smirked. "She should be jealous if I was her fiancé, but that's Rhys, right? I don't belong to her, she knows it. And I have every right to be with whoever I want. She has nothing to do with it." He got up from the desk chair and started pacing in his office. "What happened between us was a bunch of mistakes, something that shouldn't have happened. I told her countless times, but she doesn't seem to understand it."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You got all worked up because of it."

He shook his head and walked closer to her, taking her hand in his and kissing it, making her blush.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, really. I shouldn't be saying this to you. It's not your fault. And don't worry. I'll be out of here as soon as I finish that paperwork. I'll maybe get a drink and relax."

Tosh chuckled.

"Or maybe you'll go visit your new friend."

He grinned at her. "That too. You know me too well, Toshiko Sato."

"Only because you let me, Captain Jack Harkness. Good night and don't do anything stupid."

He laughed.

"I won't. I'll try something dangerous for a change. Good night. Sleep well, my dear."

* * *

><p>He looked up at the window for the fifth time. The lights were still on. Looking at his watch, he noticed it was almost midnight. He took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to Ianto's flat.<p>

Reaching the door, he felt unsure. It was quite late and Ianto had to get up early. He wasn't sure if he should knock on the door or just leave and come back the next day.

He started pacing back and forth for a few minutes, deciding what to do.

Suddenly the door opened and Ianto stood there, one raised eyebrow.

"You know, the longer you spend there walking for no good reason, the more frustrated I get from hearing your boots wasting away the floor and, consequently, the angrier I get with you, so if you don't mind."

He pointed inside his flat with his arm, inviting Jack in.

"It's late and I wasn't sure I should disturb you," he explained, voicing the thoughts he had not too long ago.

Ianto chuckled as he followed him to the living room.

"I'm sure you looked up enough times to be sure I was still awake. And even if I wasn't, I would be from hearing you pacing outside my door."

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what? I wasn't asleep. You have nothing to be sorry about. Would you like something to drink?"

"I think I'm fine, thanks. I just want to sit on this couch with you by my side for a while," he said, patting the empty space in the couch next to him.

Ianto rolled his eyes, but sat slowly beside him anyway.

"You know you can sit closer to me, right? I won't try anything you won't let me."

The Welshman shook his head.

"You are a right piece of work."

He shifted a little closer, but Jack just took a big leap and put his arm around his shoulders, feeling Ianto's body from his shoulder to his knee. He also noticed the small flush in Ianto's cheeks and fought a desperate need to kiss his reddened cheek in that same moment.

"Does it still hurt too much?"

Ianto shrugged.

"Not so much. I can still do my job properly, if that's what you're hinting at."

Jack chuckled. "You are stubborn. You know what I think about you already working, when nights ago you had a knife in your guts."

"Yes, I know. You only said that every time you called."

There it was, the eye rolling motion again.

"You know, I love it when you roll your eyes at what I say almost as much as when you throw your sarcasm at me."

Ianto shook his head and kept his eyes on the TV in front of him, refusing to acknowledge what Jack had said.

He, on the other hand, started to finger the edges of Ianto's shirt. That got him a reaction. Ianto lifted his arm and looked at Jack's hand.

"Can I see it?"

Still looking down, he took a moment before nodding slowly.

Jack lifted the hem of his shirt until he could see the stitches embedded in Ianto's skin.

Ianto froze for a moment when Jack's fingertips touched the stitched skin lightly. He flinched when the older man touched the skin around it.

"Did I hurt you?" Jack asked, still not moving his fingers, which were now resting near his wound.

"No. The skin is a bit sore, that's all," he answered, his own fingers moving across his tender skin.

The other man's fingers caught his and Ianto looked up. As their eyes lost themselves in each other's gaze, their fingers entwined and Jack approached Ianto slowly.

When their heads were inches apart, Ianto felt his heartbeat grow faster and a tingling sensation started to take place in his stomach.

However, the sound of Ianto's mobile phone ringing broke the spell and they moved apart so Ianto could take the call.

"Hello."

"_Ianto!"_

"Hi! Uh... Can you hold on a second, please?"

"_Sure."_

He put his hand over the receiver and turned to Jack.

"Would you mind if...?"

Jack got up from the couch.

"Sure, no problem. Actually, I think I'll go now. It's late and you should go to sleep soon."

"Oh, okay. We'll talk later."

"Yeah," Jack said and moved to drop a small kiss on Ianto's cheek before leaving, a small smile making his way to his lips when he noticed his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Ianto bit his lip and waited until the door was closed behind him to return to his call.

"Sorry about that."

"_Did I interrupt something?"_

"Nothing you shouldn't have."

Sarah chuckled.

"_Was there a girl with you? Was it all that bad?"_

"It was more of a that's none of your business kind of thing."

"_Aww. You're no fun. Well, I just called to let you know you lost your bet, so you owe me."_

"Our bet?" Then it clicked. "Oh! Our bet! Paul proposed?"

"_He did! I'm so happy! We should go out and have a meal together. I'll bring Paul and you bring... who should I be waiting for?"_

"Nice, Sarah, very nice, but I'm not bringing anyone."

"_Here's a girl trying to find out your secret and you keep turning her down. That's not fair!"_

"Whatever you say. Let me know when you want to introduce me to your fiancé."

"_I'll call you again tomorrow."_

"At a decent hour, I hope."

"_Sure. Wouldn't want to interrupt your second date, dear Ianto."_

"Sarah..."

"_Bye!"_

Ianto was left staring at his mobile phone, shaking his head and laughing, before turning all the lights off and going to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay, so I felt the need to add this at the end. Feel free to harass my ass on tumblr about uploads and stuff, but I honestly won't promise the next bit until mid January, when I count on being done with the semester and, hopefully, get some time to write as much as I can for this.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay, guys. A lot has been going on in my life and I'm finishing my degree now, so in about a month and some days, I hope to finally be free and give this story the attention it deserves. I really am sorry for stringing you all along like this. I don't blame you if you've given up, but I'm extremely grateful if you're still interested in this story and keep checking the new parts, even when they're months apart. Thank you for leaving reviews and adding this story to the alerts/favorites. It means a lot to me. _And I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, don't kill me!_

* * *

><p>She knocked on the door, suddenly nervous.<p>

He opened the door and practically beamed at her, motioning for her to get inside.

As soon as he closed the door, she lunged herself at him, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"God, I haven't heard a thing from you in a long while. You should've called."

Roger shook his head, breaking the embrace.

"Couldn't let them find me. They found me the first time around. I didn't want it happening again. I couldn't risk it. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I get it. The important part here is that you're alright. You got me worried. I mean, you left as soon as you heard Ianto Jones was in Cardiff. I feared you had tried something against him and you were the one who got killed in the process," she slapped his left arm and he winced. She frowned.

"It's okay. Torchwood Cardiff's leader tried to kill me. He managed to shoot me before he dropped dead in front of me," Roger explained.

She rubbed her face, sitting down on the couch in his living room.

"God, Roger. Why did you kill him? This is only going to get you in deeper trouble."

"I had to do it. He was going to kill me to save that bastard. I can't believe he managed to get someone like Jack Harkness to believe his words."

He sighed and sat down beside Michelle, putting his head in his hands.

"Maybe he's telling the truth…"

He quickly looked up; a disappointed and slightly angry look upon in face. He chuckled darkly.

"So you'll take his side too? You know where the door is."

He got up but she grabbed his arm, preventing him from going away.

"No. Of course not! I just wanted to be certain of what happened."

"I am certain. He's the reason she's dead, Michelle!"

She put her arms around him, hugging him.

"Okay, okay. If you're certain, then I'll believe you. I'll help in whatever you may need from me."

He pushed her back.

"It's too dangerous. I killed their leader and I don't even know if Jones is dead. You're a good friend and I want you to be safe."

She frowned.

"Well, you are also a very good friend and I don't want you to get hurt either, but seeing as you already have," she said, pointing at his left arm. "I say you let me help you so it won't happen again."

He smirked.

"What would I do without you, Michelle?"

She shrugged, with a smile on her face.

"Try and get killed again?"

* * *

><p>Gwen entered the Hub with a huge smile on her face. Owen was the first to notice it.<p>

"Happy today, I see. Tell me, did you finally get an evil cult to accept you after killing a sweet and furry kitty?"

She just shook her head and kept her beaming smile on her face.

"I'm getting married in a week. There's nothing you can say to ruin my happiness, Owen."

"We're all invited, right?" asked Toshiko from her workstation.

"Of course!"

"Can we bring someone with us?"

Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Pets can't go, Tosh. It'd be a nightmare."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He straightened himself.

"Who will you take, then?"

Gwen chuckled.

"Jealous much, Owen?"

"I won't even give you the satisfaction of getting an answer to that."

Gwen ignored him as he went back to his work, no longer interested in the current conversation.

"Of course you can bring someone, Tosh. So who will be the lucky guy?"

Toshiko blushed slightly.

"Actually, I wasn't thinking about bringing a date. I was thinking about inviting Ianto. If you don't mind, of course," she added quickly.

"Why would I? Sure, you can invite him. He seems to be a nice lad."

Toshiko smiled.

"Good. Thanks."

"I'm going to ask for your help on a few things, if you don't mind. After all, we're the only women in this team."

"Sure. Give me a call whenever you need help with something."

"You're a gem, Tosh. Better get back to work now or Jack will have my head."

Both women laughed.

* * *

><p>"I should probably get back and find myself a nice hotel to stay. If I stay here much longer, it'll be way too late to check into a good hotel."<p>

He chuckled.

"You and your princess way of living. Where do you have your bags?"

"In the back of the car."

"You drove here?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. I told my boss I finally decided to use that vacation time I've been keeping over the last few years."

"You must be really tired, then."

She nodded.

"I'm exhausted."

She got up from the couch.

"You don't need to go, though."

She frowned.

"I don't know Cardiff very well. I need to go find a place sooner rather than later. I fear I'll fall asleep during the drive," she said, laughing.

"You can stay here. In fact, I'd rather have you here than have you falling asleep on your car and get into an accident. I want you safe, remember?"

"But…" she started.

"I have a spare room, with a spare bed. You'll be fine. Let's get your bags upstairs so we can settle you in your new room."

She smiled when he walked to the door.

"Okay, but only because I really love my car and it would be a shame to have it wrecked because of some stupid accident."

* * *

><p>A soft knock on his office door made him look up.<p>

"Hey. Still working, I see," Tosh commented, sitting on a chair in front of his desk.

"Yeah. Paperwork still hasn't found a way to deal with itself, I'm afraid."

She smiled.

"Gwen's getting married next week."

"So I've heard," he said, nodding and not even looking up or stop writing on the reports.

"How do you feel about that?"

"I'm happy for her. It's nice to know that people that work for Torchwood can actually have a life outside of all of this."

Toshiko bit her lip. She knew he was avoiding the real issue in the question, so she decided on a more direct approach.

"Yes. That is good. But what about you two?"

The pen writing on the reports came to an abrupt stop mid-word. Jack leaned back in his chair, dropping the pen and looking directly at Toshiko.

"What we had was never right. It shouldn't have happened, ever. I'm glad it finally stopped and she's moving on with her life. I wouldn't forgive myself if they broke up because of me, because she wants and needs to be loved; she wants a house and kids. That's what will make her happy. And that's also what I could never give her, no matter what she thinks. I would end up breaking her heart. I wouldn't want to be responsible for that. The wedding… I'm actually feeling better now, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. My conscious is clear. She'll have a steady life – apart from everything that comes with the job – so she won't rely on me like she used to anymore."

Toshiko nodded, glad that Jack had opened up to her like this.

"I'm going to invite Ianto to the wedding, as my plus one."

Jack frowned.

"What? Why?"

"I have four reasons, actually. One: I like him. Two: I want to be his friend. Three: I want him to be there with us," she said, counting with her fingers. She stopped. "Why do you ask? Did you want to invite him?"

He got defensive.

"Of course not. Why would I invite him?"

Toshiko shrugged and prepared to leave. Jack got up from his desk chair as Tosh was about to cross the threshold of the metallic door leading to the Hub.

"Wait! You said there were four reasons. You only mentioned three. What's the last one?"

"Oh. Mainly, I'm going to invite him because I know you want him there but you're too scared to ask him, afraid of what his answer would be."

"What? Tosh!" he yelled after her, but she was already gone.

* * *

><p>"We shouldn't do anything for now," Michelle advised.<p>

"What? And let him get away again?"

She took his hand. They were back in the living room after they went to pick her bags and put her things in the extra room.

"Roger, he's waiting for you to make your move. If you wait out a little while longer, he'll end up having his mind wrapped around something else and your plan will have a better chance of succeeding."

He nodded and tightened the hold on her hand.

"You're right. We can get to know his new friends a little bit better also." He turned to her and smiled happily. "I'm so glad you're here to make me put my feet on the ground and actually think things through. I'd probably screw up my chance to get him once and for all now."

He grabbed her face and kissed her like he had done many times in the past.

He pulled back slightly, not taking his eyes off of her lips. She felt slightly confused when, unlike those other times before, he dove in for another and more intense kiss.

Pulling back again, he frowned at her.

"Roger…" she started, but was soon interrupted by yet another kiss. As the kiss deepened, he started leading her back towards the spare bedroom.

She couldn't bring herself to interrupt him anymore, even if she was pretty sure she was going to regret it later.

And it did come later, when he got up, picked his discarded clothes from the floor and went back to sleep in his own room without uttering a single word to her, leaving her alone, naked and wrapped around the soft sheets of her new temporary bed.

The single tear making her way down her cheek and the soft sob that escaped her body were the only proof of the whole turmoil that was going on inside her head.

* * *

><p>Three days before Gwen's wedding, Toshiko entered Jack's office again.<p>

"Jack, can you give me Ianto's cell phone number?"

His eyebrow rose, but he tried to maintain the mask of indifference.

"Why? Can't you find it using your tech skills?"

"I could, but I was already leaving and I'd prefer not to waste 10 or 15 minutes to go through the trouble of turning everything on again just to find a number you can give me within the next 5 seconds."

He shook his head but pulled out his mobile phone, going through his contact list, pretending he didn't already know the number by heart. He wrote it down in a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said, taking the paper and already dialling the number.

"Wait, are you going to call him now?"

Her face reflected the purest of innocence, even if she was anything but.

"Sure. Why not?"

"You're enjoying this way too much."

He smirked, getting back to his paperwork, trying to get himself distracted from the conversation he was about to hear. Well, part of it.

"Ianto! This is Toshiko. Hi! Is this a good time? Because I can call you later if you want."

Jack silently asked for an answer from the other side of the line that would end this phone call now. His luck wasn't working that day, though.

"Good. Well, I wanted to call you sooner, but with Torchwood business getting in the way, I ended up forgetting it. Gwen's wedding is in three days and I wanted you to accompany me to it."

He looked up slightly to see her biting her lip right before a smile blossomed in her lips.

"If that's you want to call it." She chuckled. "Not exactly. Yeah, she said she didn't mind. Said that you're welcomed to come. Yes. Maybe."

She looked at Jack and he sent her a questioning gaze, which she deliberately ignored.

"I think so. Can't really say for sure, then. Yeah, take your time. You can call this number later. Sure. Bye!"

She hung up and slid her cell phone into her jeans pocket.

Jack leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against his desk.

"So what did he say?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

His eyebrows rose.

"I gave you his number."

"Like I wouldn't have gotten it if you hadn't," she observer, shrugging and putting her mobile phone back in her pocket.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Why are you being like this with me?"

"Because you're stubborn and too lazy to do things on your own. I better get going now. See you later!"

She waved and left Jack with his paperwork.

* * *

><p>The morning came and Michelle felt even worse. A wave of nausea hit her and she ran into the bathroom to empty her stomach.<p>

She felt dirty. She had admitted to herself a while back that she had feelings for Roger. Nothing too big, but there was something and she knew she couldn't deny it.

Yet, having him treat her like this, using her and discarding her like a worthless object made her feel unloved and uncared for. She knew he loved her as a friend, but never as something more.

The young woman knew she shouldn't have let it happen, but she was so infatuated with him, she couldn't let him stop making her dreams come true, even if just for a few hours in the night.

She brushed her teeth and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as bad as she felt. She took her time practising a mask of perfection, as if her soul wasn't shattered into little pieces. Not wanting him to see her like this, to see the true damage he'd done for being so passionate with her, before leaving her like she didn't deserve more than a one night stand, like she wasn't worth sharing the same bed when sleep came.

Rummaging through her bags, she picked something to wear, something not too uptight.

She went to the kitchen to find Roger preparing them some breakfast.

"Hey! I don't know how you like your coffee, so I think I'm gonna let you take care of it. I made some pancakes, though!"

His voice sounded too chirpy to her. In a way, it sounded too cold and detached.

"Sure, thanks." She forced a smile to appear on her face and he smiled back.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah. I think your spare bed is actually more comfortable than my bed, back at home."

He chuckled has he set down a plate with pancakes in front of her.

"Well, take good advantage of it because it'll be your bed for as long as you stay here. Then it'll be back to your own bed at home, back in London."

The implication in that statement tore at her heart, but she hid her pain by taking a bite off the pancake and pretending she hadn't just read the true meaning between the lines.

* * *

><p>"How do I look?"<p>

"For the hundredth time, you look extremely gorgeous. We definitely got you the best wedding dress in the store."

The bride sat on the chair and sighed before eyeing her friend and colleague nervously.

"What if Rhys doesn't like it?"

Toshiko frowned.

"Why wouldn't he? The dress is perfect. I'm sure he'll love it."

She rounded the bed in the middle of the room to reach Gwen and finish helping her with her hair.

"So, is Owen bringing someone with him?"

Gwen shrugged.

"Not that I know of." She looked at Toshiko through the mirror. "Why do you ask? I mean, don't you already have your date?"

"We both know he's not my date. Besides, I don't know if he'll be my 'date' today."

It was Gwen's turn to frown.

"Why? He didn't confirm he'd come?"

"That's not it. We'll talk about it later. Now we need to focus and get your hair as perfect as everything else already is."

They smiled and proceeded into talking about wedding related things.

* * *

><p>The reception was held at a nice restaurant with a wide green park and a river running by.<p>

Owen was sipping on a glass of champagne when he spotted Toshiko. He drank what was left of the champagne and made his way towards her.

"Where's your date?"

"Why do you care?" she answered in the same cold tone he used.

"He must be one hell of a date to leave you alone this soon into the party," he said and sniggered.

She turned fully to him.

"Actually, it was me who left him and told him to be away for a while. Does that make me the bad date?"

He scratched the back of his head.

"I... Well, if you left him, then he must have been boring you or something. Still a bad date in my books."

"Yes, Owen. He would be a bad date if that was the case, but it isn't. Anyway, he's not my date; he's just a friend."

Owen's eyebrows rose.

"Really? So... Uh... Do you want to hang out for a bit? I don't know any of these people and I'm starting to feel really weird at this thing."

She chuckled, but concealed.

"Okay. Have you tried any of these things?"

He shook his head and smirked, moving closer to her.

"I'm still trying to decide which ones look less poisoned."

* * *

><p>Jack Harkness was growing tired of greeting so many people he didn't know. It's not that he wasn't sociable or anything like that. Quite the opposite, actually. The problem was that after meeting so many new faces, he was getting frustrated for not finding the one familiar face he was looking for.<p>

When he spotted Toshiko at the reception, he almost ran towards her, before rationalizing that that probably wasn't the wisest idea. Besides, he would be proving her right and his ego couldn't take any more blows that day.

He walked calmly towards her, eyeing the place, looking for her company.

"Looking for someone, Jack?" she asked as he approached her.

"You look lovely tonight," he attempted to change the subject.

"Thanks, but we both know you were looking for someone else."

She smiled wickedly at him, rubbing in his face that she knew a secret he so desperately wanted to know.

He tried to keep his resolve and not fall into her attempts to prove that he was deeply interested, but failed miserably.

"Okay, okay. I'll bite. Did he come?"

A big grin formed in her face.

"Now, we have an agreement. He knows you're here and he knows you'll probably want to talk to him, but he's not sure if that's a good idea. Therefore, I told him that if you found him, by chance, then he couldn't run away from it. He agreed, but I'm sure he won't be making it easy for you. I'll tell you this, however, the last time I saw him he was alone, away from all the commotion. If you find him, he'll let you talk."

He looked at her, still trying to figure out what she had just told him.

"Go find him!" she said, pushing him outside the building and away from all the random faces.

He looked around him. They were in the middle of a huge park near the river. On his left was the parking lot and he doubted he would find Ianto there. That left him with three other options and a lot of ground to cover.

He turned to his right and walked in the direction of the river.

Some minutes later, and as he moved through the grass and tall trees, he spotted a tall figure leaning against one of the trees, throwing small pebbles into the water and watching them sink, leaving little circular waves spreading across the water.

He approached him silently, but the other man froze upon sensing another presence.


End file.
